The Harbinger Cards
by Hikawa Kajinendo
Summary: Sakura and Syaoran face a new foe, who also has his own Cards and Guardians, and can DRAIN others of their magic to make himself stronger. And his target is... Sakura! Takes place two years after second movie. SxS ExT and some surprises inside as well
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura. If I was, I wouldn't need to write a fanfic would I?

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A dark figure sat at a table, carefully mixing a pile of cards with dark blue backs. With that same hand he put them all back into a deck, and divided it into four piles before putting them back together in a different order. The cards had on their backs a magic circle with a mixture of English and Japanese characters, with a crescent moon sitting in the center. Behind him another watched, her eyes showing an interest in what he was doing. It was night, the full moon outside the window providing the only light in the immense room, but not shining enough light to reveal the figure's features.

Taking the top nine cards, he lay them carefully in a certain arrangement with his left hand; three in the middle with three others on the top and bottom. Smiling slightly, he chanted, "Cards made by Arya, answer my query. Reveal to me the identity of my enemy." The cards glowed, and he flipped over the top middle card.

The name on the card was "THE SKY," and it was upside-down. He pondered its meaning. "So that means the one I seek does not know of me. Or, at least, not yet." Taking the bottom middle card, he turned it over to reveal a card labeled "THE CHRONO."

"But I do have time before I meet them. Now, to see who it is."

The figure behind him spoke up. "You have gotten much better since the first time we met." As his back was to her, he did not notice the strange look that came to her eyes as she stared at him. Her long wavy hair, a dark shade of brown, hung over her right shoulder, and her gleaming sapphire eyes regarded the other with respect… and something more.

"As they say, practice makes perfect. I've had plenty of practice ever since I was able to capture nine Wraith Cards, which I have recently transformed into my own. It is also thanks to my Sun Guardian's excellent teaching." He flipped the first card in the center row. "'THE STRENGTH.' So they do seem to have quite a bit of power after all." Then the second center card. "'THE DAY.' Hmm…"

He was deep in thought before finally reaching a conclusion. "As it is the DAY card, he or she has a pure and innocent soul, which means that the person is most likely young. But the final one shall tell me more." The final card was revealed to be a card named "THE BLOSSOM." Behind the picture of the lady on the card showed petals that were very familiar to the figure, as he'd grown up with them. "Cherry blossoms. My, my, it really does say a lot."

"What is it supposed to mean?" the figure behind him asked, and he turned to smile at her.

"It says that the one I am seeking out is most likely a girl."

"And why does it say that? Even males like cherry blossoms."

He laughed and shook his head. "No, no. This card tells me her name. And there are no boys who carry it." He looked out the window at the shining full moon, and unconsciously began petting a dragon-winged silver wolf cub that landed on his lap. He also did not notice a young man walk in, his hair blacker than night, his eyes gleaming amethyst in color.

"Solarus." The stuffed-animal-like wolf cub looked up. "Lunarus." The young man also looked at him. They had thought he hadn't noticed them, as their master's attention seemed far away, beyond the here and now. A book lying on the table labeled "THE HARBINGER" glowed as its cover opened to take in the cards flying into it. He smiled as he spoke his next words, "Listen closely my Guardians. The name of the one we are looking for is… Sakura."

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

In a mansion only a few miles away a boy with navy blue hair and blue eyes woke up from his disturbing dream. Groping about his nightstand, he found his glasses and slipped them on, controlling his breathing to calm himself. In his mind, he went over he dream, recalling every detail.

_It took place at Penguin Park, in Tomoeda. He saw Sakura, clutching her Star Wand tightly as she faced her opponent; he could not identify his features, but judging by the Cardmistress's hesitation it was someone she knew. Her foe pulled a card from his pocket; it resembled the SWORD card, but the name on it read as "THE BLADE." It activated, and his staff, which had a crescent moon at the top supported by a pair of dragon wings, turned into a sword._

_Sakura used her own SWORD card and they began to fight; while he was attacking, all she was doing was defending herself. Eriol saw Syaoran not too far away, fighting what seemed like a girl; eight daggers flew at him, and he rolled to the side. They fly back to the girl's hands, and Syaoran glares at her. Clow's reincarnation could barely contain a smile when he saw a familiar girl with raven hair hiding in the bushes, recording the entire fight. _

_The SHOT appeared, but when he looked closer it was revealed to not be the same SHOT Card as Sakura's; it took aim and fired, it's bolt flying at Syaoran. Sakura released the SHIELD Card, protecting Syaoran. But her enemy took advantage of her distraction activating another card. Tendrils of black dust taking hold of the Cardmistress were the last thing Eriol saw before he woke up._

It worried him that he had never heard of a card like that last one. Indeed, even in Clow Reed's memories there was not a single thing about another magician using cards similar to the Clow Cards; or rather, Sakura Cards now, he reminded himself. There was also something he had forgotten, something else in the dream that he had missed… but that didn't matter right now.

"Spinel Sun, Ruby Moon." His Guardians entered his room in their disguise forms, obviously wondering what it was he wanted. Eriol looked at them both, and said calmly, "We are going back to Japan."

**Author's Notes: This is Hikawa speaking. I hope you enjoyed this little view of what is going on. I am just a beginner at writing fanfics, so don't kill me if it is bad. Please R & R! The little purple button is down there, begging to be clicked! And no flames, please**


	2. A New Arrival

Disclaimer: Must I repeat myself? I do not own CCS, Clamp does, so don't sue me

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Cycle 1: A New Arrival

_Harsh, cold laughter filled her ears as she ran, her emerald-green eyes frantically searching for an escape. But it was like a maze. No, it was a maze; a maze without end, a labyrinth without an exit. The girl with short auburn hair cried out desperately, "Syaoran!" But there was no reply except the laughter, and the echoes of her voice…_

"SA-KU-RA!"

"Hoeeeee?!" Startled by the sudden and loud shout, the girl fell out of her bed and onto the floor. Hovering overhead was the small stuffed-animal-like yellow Guardian Cerberus, also known as "Kero-chan." She rubbed her head, where it had made contact with the hard wooden floor. "Kero-chan! What was that for?"

He responded by simply pointing at the alarm clock that sat on a shelf above her bed. "Hoee! I'm going to be late!" In record time the girl changed into the uniform of Tomoeda Middle School, fixer her hair, and was out the door. Kero sighed. "Oh boy. That girl may be the Cardmistress, but she still can't get up early, no matter how much I try."

Sakura bid a good morning to her father, Fujitaka, and to the picture of her mother Nadeshiko, smiling happily. As usual, Toya dared to call her a "monster." He never learns.

"As usual, the kaijuu gobbles up her food at a breakneck pace," he had said, smirking. Still eating as fast as possible, Sakura angrily stomped on his foot under the table. He barely kept himself from shouting in pain.

"Is that Chinese gaki taking you to school?" Toya asked, frowning after he got over the pain. He still didn't like Syaoran, and despite Sakura's many attempts the feeling was mutual. Finished eating, she glared at her brother.

"Oniichan! Don't call Syaoran that!" Taking her dishes to the sink, she quickly took off her house slippers, slipped on her shoes, and was off. "Ittekimasu!"

"Itterashai!" Sakura waved back to her father before continuing on, glancing back at the silver watch on her wrist every so often. It had been a birthday gift to her from Syaoran last year, and she wore it every day. Up ahead, she smiled and waved as she neared a familiar figure.

It seemed like he had been waiting patiently for her. His brown hair was as unruly as always, and his amber eyes reflected the grin on his face as he waved back. She reached him and they continued walking the rest of the way to school together. He slipped his hand into hers, their fingers intertwining, and they walked in silence for a while before he spoke.

"Our mornings usually do start like this, don't they?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," a mischievous sparkle came into his eyes, "first you wake up late, and then you eat breakfast as if you had gone through a seven-year famine before rushing out the door, yet we're already in eighth grade…"

"Mou, Syaoran!" But Sakura couldn't help but laugh with him. A glance at her watch alarmed her. "Oh no! Hurry or we'll be late!" They ran, still hand in hand, and barely made it into the classroom before the bell rang.

"You made it just in time." They looked to see a raven haired girl with amethyst eyes smiling at the couple cheerfully. "And Onigiri-sensei isn't here yet either," Tomoyo added as they took their seats; Sakura sat on Tomoyo's left side while Syaoran took the seat behind his girlfriend.

The door slid open and a woman in her early thirties stepped in, her long black hair pulled up into a ponytail, her hazel eyes scanning the room for empty seats. There were no absences. Sakura liked her teacher. Onigiri-sensei had a fun-loving personality, and was very friendly and hard to not like. She knew that her name was the same as her favorite food, but she never got annoyed about it. Everyone fell silent as she looked at them.

"Today we have a transfer student from England joining us this year." Sakura and Tomoyo exchanged glances while Syaoran looked annoyed. They had kept in contact with Eriol the entire time he was away. Why would he not have said anything about returning?

But as their teacher began writing the new student's name on the blackboard, they realized it wasn't him. It was confirmed when he stepped in at Onigiri-sensei's beckoning. He had unruly dark green hair that, surprisingly, seemed messier than Syaoran's. His chocolate-brown eyes went from one person to another until they came to a rest on Sakura. She stared back, confused.

Written on the board for all to see was the name Ametori Koryu. Excited murmurs were heard, the girls talking more than the boys. The teacher looked around for an empty seat, and told Koryu, "Go to that seat by Li-san. Then let's begin class, shall we?" He nodded and smiled, walking over to his seat. However, he paused by Sakura's desk for a moment, and they stared at each other before he smirked and continued walking. Syaoran gave him one of his infamous "death-glares" and the sound of knuckles cracking was clearly audible.

During lunch break Syaoran expressed his dislike aloud. "That new guy… I really don't like him." He and Sakura of course, were with Tomoyo, their other friends Naoko and Rika, and Chiharu and her boyfriend Takashi. Sakura frowned at him.

"Why? He doesn't seem that bad, Syaoran."

Syaoran looked at her in surprise. "Didn't you see how he looked at you? It was like how a hungry tiger looks at its prey just before it pounces. And even worse… he reminds me of Eriol."

Everyone laughed at that last statement, and once she calmed down Sakura tilted her head thoughtfully. "But he feels… friendly. I'm sure he's not that bad."

Sighing, Syaoran leaned closer to her and whispered, "Remember how you thought Eriol wasn't that bad?"

"He was only helping me transform the Clow Cards, remember?"

He relented, but his fierce glare returned when they were joined by none other than the new student, Ametori Koryu. "May I join you?" Koryu asked politely. "I don't really know anyone here."

"Sure!" Sakura said cheerfully, before Syaoran could say no. The others voiced their agreement (except Syaoran of course). He sat down next to Takashi, seemingly unfazed by Syaoran's glare.

"You're from England?" Naoko questioned, half-surprised at how protective Syaoran could be about Sakura. She never knew anyone who could glare at another with such intensity.

Koryu was silent for a moment before answering. "I was actually born in Tokyo, but my parents moved to England when they got new jobs. I moved back here because of that as well. But my parents usually aren't home; they tend to be away for long periods of time on overseas business trips." His gaze then fell on Sakura, and she wondered why he was staring at her. All it did was make Syaoran intensify his glare.

"You must be lonely," Chiharu commented, but he just smiled and shook his head. "No, actually I'm not at all lonely. My servants keep me company, and I have made a friend who I like to spend time with."

"You're rich?" Rika wasn't the only one surprised when he nodded. Now there were three rich kids in the class: Tomoyo, Syaoran, and now Koryu. "Do you live in a mansion like Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked, and Koryu nodded again. "Wow! Sugoi!"

"Hey, hey, did you know that the very first mansions were made out of sticks?" Takashi began, smiling. Chiharu groaned, as she knew he was lying again. "People would take the sturdiest, lightest sticks they could find, and stack them on top of each other."

Chiharu was about to strangle her boyfriend to make him stop lying when she was intercepted by a grinning Koryu, who said, "The biggest mansion made in early times stood as tall as twice the size of this school. It was all the way in England."

"Indeed it was," Takashi agreed, continuing, "but the mansions were easily knocked over."

"A small gust of wind or simple breeze could make them collapse."

Tomoyo giggled her signature laugh. "Ohohohohoho! Now Yamazaki-kun has a new partner in crime!"

Syaoran grumbled, "This new guy is more like Eriol than I feared…"

They were flawless, as Koryu and Takashi would back up each other's story. Sakura, as gullible as when she was in elementary school, believed every word. Everyone else knew better, but it was hard to keep thinking that the two were lying. The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

"I had a wonderful time," Koryu cheerfully said, "so is it okay if I join you guys tomorrow as well?"

"Of course!" Takashi answered, again before Syaoran could refuse. Chiharu sighed. Now she had double trouble with two liars. Packing up their things, the group headed for the classroom. Suddenly, Sakura and Syaoran paused, alarmed. They had felt a powerful presence nearby. Koryu, noticing they had stopped, turned to look at them.

"Is something wrong?"

They shook their heads in answer, and continued on. Koryu lingered behind. He was annoyed. _Why did she drop her guard? What happened?_ Saving his questions for later, he hurried to catch up to the others, watched by a girl with her dark brown hair pulled up into a ponytail, hanging over her right shoulder. Her sapphire eyes had a soft look in them as she regarded the boy, a look reserved for him alone…

**Author's Notes: Who is that girl? I dunno. Wait for the second chappie, maybe she'll reveal her identity then. Please R & R! And for those who will complain, I will have SxS fluff later. I am still just a beginner at writing fanfics after all**

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	3. THE GENERATE

Disclaimer: Blahblahblah, I do not own Card Captor Sakura, blahblahblah. Begin second Cycle!

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Cycle 2: THE GENERATE  
The remaining hours of school seemed to pass by quickly. Koryu was obviously a good student, as e jotted down many notes, oblivious to everything except what Onigiri-sensei was saying. Syaoran, however, was glaring at the boy sitting next to him. He disliked Koryu for several reasons. One was the way he had looked at Sakura when school had begun and through the rest of the day, as if she were a tasty snack just waiting to be devoured. Secondly, this guy reminded too damn much of Hiiragizawa Eriol. He even teamed up with Yamazaki Takashi when lying for heaven's sake!

But the third reason he couldn't quite figure out. To sum it all up, Syaoran, boyfriend of the Cardmistress and sole heir to the legacy of the Li clan, did not like Koryu at all.

Sakura seemed to be a different story, but then again she mostly saw the good side of people. Nevertheless, Syaoran silently vowed to never let her out of his sights whenever that Ametori Koryu was nearby. He'd trust him the way he trusted snow to not melt in summer.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Syaoran stood, stretching. Finally, now he wouldn't be stuck next to that new guy. He leaned forward, to whisper to Sakura a question meant for her ears only, "You mind walking with me for a while before heading home?"

She looked back at him and shook her head, smiling. "Iie, I would love to. I already finished my homework; luckily we didn't have any from math today." The couple was unaware of another set of ears listening in on their conversation, having a better set of hearing than they realized, than most others realized in fact. And it wasn't Tomoyo, who had to go home right after school.

Hand in hand, fingers laced, Li Syaoran and Kinomoto Sakura walked from the school, across the bridge, and ended up in Penguin Park. They chatted about various things, but that ended when they stopped walking. Sakura was startled when Syaoran suddenly drew her into a tight embrace; her emerald eyes looked up to meet the intense and concerned look in his amber ones.

"What's wrong, Syaoran?" He usually wasn't like this without reason; he was silent for a long time before he finally answered her.

"Something is bugging me. That presence I felt earlier, just after lunch… did you feel it too?"

Sakura nodded, worry also beginning to show in her eyes. "It felt powerful. But it disappeared before I could find out where it was coming from." She now knew why Syaoran was acting like this. He was worried that she might get hurt. "But don't worry," she whispered to him. "As long as we are together, everything will be alright."

He smiled, laughter showing in his eyes. "Your invincible spell. It never fails does it?"

"Iie," she answered simply. Neither of them noticed a figure of a boy standing in a nearby tree, the figure of a girl standing near him, holding him for support. He pulled out a pendant of a moon with dragon wings, chanting, "Key which hides the power of the planets, show your true form before me. I, the Harbinger, command you under our contract. Release."

It transformed in a glow of violet light. The staff was topped by a crescent moon with twin dragon wings supporting it from underneath. The boy smiled as he pulled a card from his pocket. "Assist me in the making of a new creation. GENERATE." It changed into a black-bound hardcover book, and inside it laid a white feather quill. Picking up the quill, he used it to begin writing into the book, the girl watching over his shoulder.

Sakura and Syaoran were alerted by the sudden feeling of a presence, but it felt oddly familiar. Both were startled when they realized exactly why it seemed familiar: _it was like that of a Clow Card!_ "No way! All the cards were collected and transformed, weren't they?" Sakura asked fearfully. Syaoran growled angrily.

"We thought that when the NOTHING Card appeared. But even so, something is a little different. It's not quite the same."

Then seemingly out of nowhere, a monster appeared. It was similar to that of a western dragon, but disfigured as it was made of dripping, green gelatin. Its mouth opened to make a sickening screech before it charged at them. Sakura quickly recited the words needed and the Key became the Star Wand. The boy's eyes narrowed in triumph.

"We have found her."

"Slice through it! SWORD!" With the help of the card, the Star Wand became an elegant but deadly sword that could cut through anything. With a single swipe she had sliced the creature in half, and she smiled happily at Syaoran, who already had his sword out.

But the victory was short-lived. "Sakura!" Syaoran shoved her out of the way as the two halves converged where she had been just a few moments before. The gelatin touched the skin of his hand briefly, and he pulled it out of harm's way. The stuff burned.

"SWORD doesn't work!" he shouted needlessly. "Try something else!"

With WATERY the monster just swelled in size with the water it absorbed. The trees and vines of the WOOD Card dissolved as soon as they touched it. FIREY was extinguished as son as it came into contact with the beast. It seemed no matter what she tried, it wouldn't work. The girl in the tree stared in awe at the creation of the GENERATE Card. The boy smirked.

"It has only one weakness and one alone. If you cut it, it regenerates. If you touch it, it will burn you, for it is an acidic gelatin. Strike it with water and it will absorb it. Let us see, Cardmistress, if you can find its weakness."

Syaoran attempted one of his spells. "Raitei Shourai!" The lightning caused it to pause, shuddering, but it quickly recovered. That was when he noticed something. The creature was glistening in the sunlight, as though it were covered in water, which it probably was. This gave him an idea. "Sakura! Use the FREEZE Card!"

"Right!" Whipping out the appropriate card, she released FREEZE, and the gelatinous creature cried out in shock as its body froze, until it was a frozen green statue of ice. "Sakura, now use POWER!"

The POWER Card was activated, and Sakura had only landed a single punch when the frozen beast shattered into billions of pieces. The remains faded, as if they never existed. "That was a close one." Sakura felt a little tired, but who wouldn't be after using a good number of her cards trying to figure out how to defeat it, all while using the FLY at the same time. "Arigatou, Syaoran."

She teetered, and fell into Syaoran's gentle embrace. "You okay?"

All Sakura did was nod, but he wasn't convinced. "You are tired. Can you still walk?"

"No," she admitted. She noticed, as Syaoran did, that the strange presence was gone. The Cardmistress scanned their surroundings, but saw nothing unnatural. But she was startled when Syaoran picked her up and carried her bridal-style. "S-Syaoran?"

"You're too tired to walk," he replied simply. "But it's weird. You shouldn't be this tired."

"I know," Sakura answered sleepily, her eyelids getting heavier. "It's as if… as if something else was draining my energy as I fought…"

The Chinese boy looked around, feeling as though they were being watched. Frowning, he continued on with Sakura in his arms, to her house. Borrowing Sakura's key for a moment, he let them in and walked upstairs to her bedroom before setting her down on her bed. Kero hovered overhead, obviously concerned.

"What happened, kid?"

Syaoran filled him in on the details, while Kero grew more and more worried. "A presence like that of the Clow Cards? Whatever could that have been…" He didn't voice it aloud, but he had a sneaking suspicion based on a memory from long ago…

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"So that girl is the one then?"

"Yes, she is. My opponent, the one I've been searching for."

"She certainly seems powerful. But that boy with her could be a problem. Is that why you didn't do it today, when you had the chance?"

"Yes. But I am sure that when the time comes, you will be able to handle him, won't you?"

"Of course. You are using my old Wraith Cards that I had created long ago, and you have transformed them all already. Why would I not wish to assist you?"

"Indeed, why not?"

"So when will you do it?"

"First I shall test her more, to bring out more of her power. And when she is strong enough… I will take her strength for my own."

**Author's notes: Bumbumbum-BA-BUUUM!! What will happen next?! Sorry, the girl from Cycle 1 is still a mystery. And Eriol and Tomoyo will be shown more in the next Cycle, hopefully. If not, please don't burn me. -sweatdrops-**


	4. Disturbances

Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura or any of CLAMP's characters. The plot and the Harbinger Cards are mine though

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Cycle 3: Disturbances

_He was surrounded by darkness. Hiiragizawa Eriol, reincarnation of Clow Reed, creator of the Guardians Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon, felt suffocated by the silence. But he wasn't alone for long._

_He could see someone in front of him. Judging by his height, it was a boy, perhaps somewhere around his own age. The sound of the person's voice confirmed Eriol's thoughts._

"_Within the confines of darkness you are alone." He could hear the smirk on the other's hidden face. "No one to assist you, no one to turn to. Friends, loved ones, even your Guardians cannot help you now."_

"Hiiragizawa-kun?"

"_Who are you?" Eriol asked calmly; any other person might have broken down and cowered in fear, but he was not like that. He would stay calm, and not lose his head._

"_One who knows your weakness." A light shone, to show the face of someone whom Eriol knew. It also revealed to show she was unconscious and bound tightly by tendrils of black dust._

"Hiiragizawa-kun!"

"_Daidouji-san?!" In that moment, Eriol knew he had just lost. Letting his emotions show, that had been his mistake. Another figure emerged, face hidden, but her voice clear._

"_So she is your weakness. Interesting, but not unexpected. You certainly are an odd one, reincarnation of Clow. To think you would get over the death of your precious Mizuki Kaho so quickly…"_

"HIIRAGIZAWA-KUN!"

"_Let her go." The Sun Staff materialized in the mage's hands, and a red bolt of magical energy flew at his foes. But it was deflected, by a magical force like that of the SHIELD Card. A dagger appeared, its tip barely touching Tomoyo's neck._

"_Big mistake. Now you shall pay the price."_

"ERIOL!"

"Nani?" With a start, the navy-haired boy awoke to the sound of his name, and saw the owner of that voice. Daidouji Tomoyo looked at her friend worriedly.

"Daijoubu?"

"H-Hai, I'm quite alright." It took him a moment to remember where he was and why. The mage recalled that he had called Tomoyo as he and Nakuru (with Suppie stuffed into Nakuru's purse) took their luggage from the Baggage Claim area. He had politely asked if he would be able to stay there during his visit, seeing as his old mansion had been torn down and replaced with an amusement park. Tomoyo had asked her mother if he could, and had only received a positive answer after promising to allow one of her more overprotective bodyguards to drive her there and back. And now, they were in a limousine driven by a fellow named Kurogane (A/N: For those who've read TRC, he should be familiar). The well-built man never stopped giving Eriol a glare every three seconds.

And right now the heiress to the Daidouji company was giving him a look of such concern that he knew she didn't believe him. He could hear the sounds of Nakuru snoring quietly, and the pages of a book being urned as Suppie read. Eriol once again reassured Tomoyo before going deep into thought.

The dream was disturbing. And besides that, the fact that it was most likely a prophetic dream was even more worrying. But at least the dream had answered one question he'd been asking for a while now, but been afraid to hear the answer to.

_So she really is dead._ Perhaps he had known it all along, deep in his heart, when he couldn't feel her presence anymore. One moment, he could feel Kaho there, somewhere in London. The next, she was gone. This realization that she was gone forever pained him deeply, and he was barely able to control the tears that threatened to flow.

Tomoyo knew better than to believe that Eriol was "fine." But she knew better than to pressure him. _When he wishes to tell me, he will. I'll wait until then._ The rest of the ride was spent in silence, other than Nakuru's snores and the dry rustling of pages turning.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

One moment he was sleeping peacefully, and the next he found himself dangling in the air, held up from the back of his shirt by strong hands. Syaoran wondered sleepily where he was; this wasn't his room. Then he remembered.

He had fallen asleep holding a sleeping Sakura's hand, greatly worried about her. Now he found himself being lifted by the person he liked the least: Kinomoto Toya.

"What are you doing here, gaki?"

The Chinese boy simply answered with a glare, which Sakura's older brother happily returned. They had gone through three rounds of "Can-Looks-Kill?" before the young Cardmistress woke up.

As is most likely true with everyone, the last thing she expected to see was two people she loved glaring daggers at each other. Sakura sweatdropped anime-style, and uttered a soft, "Hoeee…"

The two finally stopped trying to kill each other with their eyes, realizing that she was now awake.

"You okay?" Syaoran had managed to free himself from Toya's grip and was kneeling next to Sakura's bed, his amber eyes revealing how worried he was. Sakura couldn't help but smile.

"I'm fine, Syaoran, really. I was just tired."

"That's a funny thought," Toya muttered, just loud enough for everyone to hear. "A monster getting tired so easily, that is inconceivable." He easily dodged the pillow that came his way, and left. But not before warning Syaoran that he'd better leave in five minutes or be literally thrown out of the house from Sakura's window.

"I really don't like your brother," Syaoran stated, glaring at the door. Sakura sighed. She hoped that the day he and Toya _finally_ got along would come soon.

"And where's Cerberus?"

"Knowing Kero-chan he's stuffing his face somewhere." Sakura giggled. "Maybe he's pestering Oniichan for sweets." After the NOTHING Card incident, they had spilled the beans to Toya and Yukito, who didn't seem surprised in the least. Obviously.

Downstairs, Toya was having a little chat with the Sun Guardian.

"So she's in danger again?"

"That's what it seems like," Kero answered, stuffing his face with yet another cookie. "She seemed more tired than usual when she came, carried in the kid's arms."

Toya tried to ignore his annoyance with his sister's boyfriend by asking another question. "So do you know why?"

The little stuffed-animal-like Guardian stared at Toya for a long time before speaking. "You worry more about Sakura than you let on. I guess the snow rabbit was right when he said you had a 'sister-complex.'"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Well…" Kero hesitated, then sighed and gave in. "It's unlikely, but possible, that it is someone I had heard of long ago."

"What was that person's name?"

When the Sun Guardian looked at him, there was a dark look in the golden creature's beady little eyes. "Her name was Arya Hitoraumi, also known as 'The Wraith.'"

**Author's Notes: Ooooh! Who is this Arya person, and what does she have to do with what happened? More info revealed next chappie and as the story goes on. BTW, it'd be great if people reviewed so I at least know how I can improve later chapters and maybe stories I might do later on.**


	5. Possibilities

Disclaimer: -sob- I wish I owned CCS. But since I don't, I have to resort to writing fanfictions. Here's Cycle 4!

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Cycle 4: Possibilities

Toya was barely paying attention to anything the teacher was saying. He was thinking about what Kero had told him the previous day about Arya, "The Wraith."

_-Flashback-_

"_Arya?"_

_Kero nodded. "She was a powerful sorceress, and was called the Wraith because something terrible would happen whenever she appeared. Without exception."_

_Toya felt a chill run down his spine. If this Arya person truly had appeared, then…_

"_We don't know for sure if Sakura will be a victim," Kero assured him, noticing how the man tensed. "But I know the Mistress is strong enough to be able to pull through. Besides, though Arya was powerful, she used most of her magic to copy other styles."_

"_What?"_

"_By 'copy' I mean she would make her own version of that magic style. Judging by what Sakura and Syaoran said, she might have copied the Clow Cards as well, but I am not sure as of yet. But she would probably be dead by now."_

"_I hope you are right." Toya paced back and forth, thinking. Kero continued giving him information, with cookie breaks in-between._

"_Arya was half English, half Japanese, so her magic was a combination of both, except when she copied other styles. But she mimicked so many styles, I do not know what her original form of magic was," Kero admitted, frowning. "If she reincarnated herself, which I have no doubt she was powerful enough to do, she would only be able to transfer to her new self her original powers."_

"_So you do not know if she is even back?" Toya frowned at the Sun Guardian, annoyed. "What use is that?"_

"_She was able to hide her presence so well no one could detect her, even if she was standing next to you," Kero snapped. "I have no doubt her reincarnation would be able to do the same. Clow's reincarnation could. That is another reason why she earned the name 'The Wraith.' Often people would think she was dead, but then Arya would appear again. She was a sorceress not to be underestimated. Ever."_

_-End Flashback-_

As Toya walked out from the classroom, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder lightly. Turning, he found it to be the transfer student from yesterday. Kajihana Tsukito had slicked-back black hair darker than night, with amethyst eyes that sparkled with mischievousness. He was greatly admired by most of the female population in the college, and it helped that he was very athletic, as he had shown yesterday.

"Oh. Hey, Kajihana-san."

Tsukito just laughed. "No need to be so formal, Toya-san. Call me by my first name."

"What do you want anyways?"

"Your friend Tsukishiro Yukito-san and I had a little chat. A little game of soccer, that's all. Interested?"

Toya sighed. "Do I have a choice?" As he asked that, he was being dragged through the halls by a grinning Tsukito.

"Not really."

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"Eriol is back?!"

Tomoyo couldn't help but laugh at the annoyance that showed on his face. "Hai, Li-kun. Hiiragizawa-kun is staying at my house for the moment."

"Oh yeah, his old mansion had been torn down hadn't it?" Sakura was happy that an old friend was back. Indeed, so was everyone else. Tomoyo had revealed the news to them while they were eating lunch, and it was very interesting seeing the different reactions. It seemed Syaoran was the only one not happy about it.

"And where is that Ametori-san?" Syaoran looked around, searching for the other person he disliked.

"He said he was going to meet up with us halfway through lunch," Sakura replied cheerfully. And as if on cue he was there, with another person with him.

"Who is this, Ametori-kun?" Chiharu saw the girl with Koryu attempt to hide behind the boy, but he smiled and pulled her forward.

"This is Hanenendo Aiko-chan," he introduced; the girl had pretty sapphire eyes, and wavy dark brown hair pulled up into a ponytail that hung over her right shoulder. "She's in the seventh grade."

"K-Konnichiwa," Aiko said softly, shyly. The other girls couldn't help but exclaim how cute she was, which caused her to blush.

As Koryu sat next to Takashi, Aiko seated herself between Rika and Tomoyo. Everyone introduced themselves to the shy girl. "I've never seen you around before," Tomoyo commented. "Are you new?"

She was answered by a nod. "I-I just started yesterday," Aiko added quietly. She was soon bombarded with questions, but Tomoyo couldn't help but notice how the girl occasionally glanced at Koryu, who was busy lying with Takashi to Syaoran and Sakura. She did her best not to giggle.

_So that's how it is…_

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. They packed up their belongings, heading back to their respective classes.

"I hope we can meet again tomorrow, Aiko-chan," Tomoyo said cheerfully. Aiko only nodded quietly in reply.

"Yeah! I'm also surprised you don't have a boyfriend yet," Rika added.

"You're too cute to be single still," Naoko said; Aiko turned tomato-red at their words.

Plans began formulating in Tomoyo's devious mind, the gears turning just like they had been when she and Meilin had been trying to get Sakura to confess to Syaoran. She noticed how Aiko kept looking at Koryu when she thought no one was looking. _It's just too kawaii! _

The remainder of school was like a flash of lightning to them, and Tomoyo walked happily with Sakura and Syaoran. The two were both blushing as they walked with fingers intertwined. Tomoyo had her camera out, as usual, and was filming them. There were sparkles in her eyes as she did so, along with the occasional quiet, "Kawaii…"

But suddenly the couple paused. They were just outside Sakura's home, and Tomoyo wondered why they stopped.

"Do you feel it?" Sakura was looking around warily.

"Yeah," Syaoran answered, glancing around. "It's the same as before. And it's close."

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Eriol's gaze jerked away from the book he was reading, to the window. _That presence… it's powerful. _A vision of the dreams he had had, the one from the other day and the one from the previous night, appeared in his mind.

He quickly got up and out of the comfortable armchair. "Nakuru!"

His Guardian, in her disguise form of course, with Suppie posing as a stuffed animal in her pocket, came. "Master, can't it wait? I was busy cooking some cookies for Suppie-chan!"

The groan from the other Guardian was audible.

"If we wait, it may be too late," Eriol informed her. "You were probably too busy to notice, but I felt a powerful presence. One that is most likely even stronger than I am. Maybe as powerful as Sakura."

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"If she cannot handle this, then she does not deserve to be Cardmistress." A dark figure stood on the roof of a nearby house, his Moon Staff in hand.

"But she is still tired from yesterday, isn't she?" The girl regarded her companion with a raised eyebrow. "And you said yourself each time she fights one of the Harbinger Cards she loses more energy than usual."

"The DRAIN helps with that," the boy smirked. "But if I keep doing this, she will build up more power to keep herself from getting tired each time. Think of it as fattening the livestock for the slaughter."

**Author's Notes: Now we know part of our mysterious attacker's plan. And don't worry; the final battle won't be for a while yet. Will Eriol make it in time? Will Sakura and Syaoran make it out unscathed? Doubt it. Stay tuned for Cycle 5: Revelations.**


	6. Revelations

Disclaimer: I don't know why I have to say it after four Cycles and a Prologue, but I'll do it again. I DO NOT OWN CARD CAPTOR SAKURA!!

* * *

Cycle 5: Revelations

Sakura pulled out her Key, and said the words that would transform it. "Key that hides the power of the stars, show your true form before me! I, Sakura, command you under our contract! Release!"

The Key transformed, becoming her Star Wand, and Syaoran summoned his sword from the pendant he always carried with him. They both were wary, Tomoyo as well, although the young heiress didn't stop filming them.

She also had one regret. _I wish Sakura-chan was wearing one of my costumes… maybe I should make one for Li-kun too!_

Meanwhile, the boy watching them began choosing his weapons, the girl watching closely.

"Take on your true form. BRAWL." A girl like the FIGHT Card, except colored with various shades of red, appeared, arms folded across her chest.

"Grant BRAWL your power. STRENGTH." BRAWL glowed red after the STRENGTH Card was activated, and she grinned in anticipation.

"Give thyself to BRAWL in thy true form. BLADE." A sword appeared, and BRAWL carefully held it, aware that it was one of the Harbinger Cards like she was.

"Now give them the form of Li Syaoran and his sword. MIRAGE." In a flash, the BRAWL and the BLADE Cards were an exact duplicate of Syaoran. The boy smiled; there was only one thing left.

"Mimic the voice of Li Syaoran. SPEAK." A glowing violet ball appeared as SPEAK made itself part of BRAWL, waiting to hear Syaoran's voice so it could copy it.

"Now go and fight." With a grin, BRAWL, armed with the powers of her fellow cards, leaped towards the unsuspecting trio.

Syaoran was the first to sense her coming. "Move!" He pushed Sakura to the side and met the BLADE with his own sword, and they clashed.

"Syaoran!" Sakura made an attempt to get closer, but Syaoran argued against it.

"Stay back! I'll handle it!"

BRAWL, still disguised as Syaoran thanks to the MIRAGE Card, spoke in Syaoran's voice, "What do you mean? You're the fake here, not me!"

"Liar!" Syaoran fought back fiercely, but was amazed by the strength of his opponent. _He's got the strength that Sakura does when she uses the POWER Card… if I defeat the fake me, will we be able to see who caused the event yesterday?_

Sakura attempted to get closer anyway, activating the SWORD Card, but then found herself trapped in a maze with bright orange walls. "Hoeeeee?!"

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo screamed, seeing her friend disappear. Syaoran heard this, and looked to see Sakura missing.

"Sakura!"

"Don't look away; we're still fighting here," BRAWL said menacingly. Syaoran growled angrily, and pushed harder.

_I need to defeat this guy, and quickly, to find Sakura!_

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Eriol, with Spinel and Ruby in their true forms behind him, and Sun Staff in hand, hurried towards where he could feel the powerful presence. But he was also being watched.

"Should I take care of him?" The girl asked; the boy nodded.

"Please do. I doubt I'd be able to keep my attention in so many places at once."

It was thanks to Ruby Moon that Clow's reincarnation wasn't pierced by the seven daggers that flew his way. Eriol noticed, while the daggers floated in a loose circle around them, that each of the daggers had a kanji character for a different element inscribed on them.

_Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Light, and Darkness. I am guessing that each one controls the element inscribed on them._

From a nearby rooftop, the girl manipulated the other daggers using one inscribed with the kanji character for metal. "I can at least keep them at bay long enough for him to finish his business," she muttered to herself. "No problem."

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Sakura had to admit, this maze was tougher than her own MAZE Card. It was unusual in the way that it was a combination of a regular maze and one with stairways going every which way, altering space.

It was also just as strict; she couldn't use FLY or SWORD to get out easily. Then there was the added downside of getting more and more tired as she progressed through the labyrinth. Judging by how the presence of the entire place felt, it definitely _was_ similar to a Clow Card, but not one.

But she couldn't keep walking forever. Her vision blurred, and the Cardmistress collapsed, exhausted due to the increasing lack of magical energy. A figure loomed over her, withdrawing a card from the folds of his cloak.

"VISION."

A glowing crimson butterfly fluttered and landed on the tip of Sakura's nose. The boy smiled to himself as he left his LABYRINTH. "Sweet dreams, Mistress of the Cards."

_Tendrils of black dust wrapped around her, and she felt fear growing within her very soul. Luckily, Syaoran was protected from the other girl's attacks by the SHIELD Card, but how long would that last?_

"_Where there is hope, there is also its opposite." Sakura couldn't see his face clearly, but she thought the voice was familiar. "Once DESPAIR has finished its work, your power will become mine."_

_She saw a card in his hand. The name on it read as "THE DRAIN" and it showed a strikingly beautiful woman with a pair bat wings curled around her, a sphere in her hands._

"_Nothing can save you now."_

"_SAKURA!" Syaoran tried to break through the SHIELD, but couldn't. The card knew that he was precious to its mistress, and so it would protect him as long as her power lasted._

_She could see Tomoyo running desperately, chased out of her hiding spot by a great silver wolf with dragon wings, a large diamond in the center of its breastplate. But the creature was intercepted by Spinel Sun and Cerberus in their true forms, and a fight began._

_Yue and Ruby Moon were holding their own against a dragon-winged man with unruly blonde hair, and hazel eyes that showed contempt for his enemies. Ruby Moon seemed hesitant about attacking, but Yue gave it his all._

_The last Sakura saw, befor her vision faded to black, was Eriol rushing into a sphere of darkness that had appeared where Tomoyo had been, and the girl with daggers following…_

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Four days later, Sakura woke up in an unfamiliar setting. It took her a moment to realize that she was in Tomoyo's mansion, with Syaoran sitting ina chair next to the bed in which she lay. He was asleep, and she noticed with happiness her hand held in his own.

_But what happened? After that dream, I don't remember anything else…_

Syaoran was woken by loud shout of "Sakura-chan!" from none other than Daidouji Tomoyo. She rushed in, glad to see her friend finally awake, with Hiiragizawa Eriol close behind, his usual Cheshire Cat smile replaced with a frown. Suppie and Nakuru followed, Nakuru not as hyper as usual.

A voice piped up from near Sakura's pillow; Syaoran had forgotten Kero was there. "Good to see you finally awake, Sakura."

The young Cardmistress smiled at her friends, all of whom had been worried for her. "Arigatou minna. Daijoubu desu."

"What happened, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo was relieved that her friend was alright, but she guessed that Syaoran had been more worried than anyone else. He and Toya had even managed to get along for once without glaring at each other; Toya, hearing that his sister had fallen unconscious, had rushed over to the Daidouji estate right after college finished, accompanied by Yukito.

Sakura described her experience, as well as the troubling dream she had had. Eriol suddenly understood that her dream was a continuation of his own, but he said nothing for the moment.

"So she _did_ copy the Clow Cards," Kero muttered. "But how in the world did she do that?"

"Who is 'she', Kero-chan?"

Kero told Sakura and everyone else exactly what he had told Toya the other day. Syaoran's expression froze into a harsh expression of anger, while Tomoyo looked more concerned than she had while Sakura was unconscious. Eriol remained expressionless, but Nakuru and Suppie exchanged worried looks.

"I will kill that Arya before she hurts Sakura," Syaoran growled, despite Kero's assurances that Sakura was strong enough to be able to make it through. He remembered how close to death he had been when fighting the fake Syaoran; at the last moment the fake had run off, and disappeared. The fake had run right after Sakura reappeared, when she had been released from the confines of the labyrinth.

Finally, Eriol spoke up. "I doubt you would be able to handle her on your own, my darling relative."

At this, Syaoran shot a glare at Clow's reincarnation. "What?!"

"From what Cerberus has said, and from Clow's memories of what he had learned about her, I can easily deduce that even her reincarnation would be stronger than you are. And I have also figured out what magic she uses." He described his experience, and Kero's eyes widened.

"Of course!" the little Sun Guardian exclaimed. "A Blademaster!"

"Nani?" Everyone except Kero and Eriol were confused, and the mage began to explain.

"A Blademaster is one who, obviously, uses weapons such as swords or knives for their magic. Their weapons usually are only one of eight elements; namely Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Metal, Lightning, Light, and Darkness. But more powerful ones can controls several blades at once, up to eight, with the one blade whose element is Metal controlling the rest."

"A Blademaster can transform his or her weapon or weapons into different types of blades," Kero added. "Not just swords; can be scythes or axes as well."

"But I don't think it's just one enemy," the mage said, voicing his thoughts. "Arya's reincarnation can't be the one controlling the enemy cards. We are most likely facing two enemies at the same time. Arya, and another Cardmaster."

**Author's Notes: Well, so now they've figured out how many, and the magic styles, all that's left to figure out is the why and who. Don't worry, I'll try to put in fluff in later chapters before the final battle. And maybe Yue will show up, and Kero-chan in his true form. Too bad for Eriol that he couldn't do much despite his power! -evil grin- Stay tuned!**


	7. Rain

Disclaimer: Don't own CCS. Plot and Harbinger Cards are MINE!!

Note: With the Guardians, I refer to their disguise forms by ther diguise form names, and their true forms with the names of their true forms. Just in case no one figured that out yet. The way the characters within the story refer to them are a bit different...

* * *

Cycle 6: Rain

"You let her go. Why?"

"And you let Clow's reincarnation escape. We're even."

"I only did that because I noticed you stopped LABYRINTH, BRAWL, and the other cards. Tell me, why did you stop?"

"Let's just say I was interrupted. I was almost caught by one of the Cardmistress's pesky Guardians."

"Which one?"

"He held within him the power of the moon. I must say, Lunarus will enjoy himself when he finally gets to fight the girl's Moon Guardian. I wonder how Solarus will feel when fighting her Sun Guardian…"

"And what about the boy of the Li clan?"

"Oh, he'll get what's coming to him soon enough. The effect on him was like that towards the Cardmistress, but then again he wasn't the one surrounded by LABYRINTH and DRAIN's effects."

"So what are you planning next?"

"I'll give them time to rest and relax. The next time I strike, I will catch them by surprise."

"Clow's reincarnation will suspect something."

"Let him be suspicious. I had a vision that tells me he'll be too busy to be paying any attention to us in the future..."

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Sakura was deemed fit enough to leave the comfortable bed in the Daidouji estate a day after she awoke. However, Syaoran still insisted on accompanying her back home.

"Syaoran…"

"No, Sakura, I will not leave." The amber-eyed boy was stubborn about staying with her. "What if you are attacked again? From what _he_ said, you are the target."

_-Flashback-_

"_Another Cardmaster? How is that possible?" Syaoran glared at the navy-haired reincarnation of Clow Reed, suspicious. "Don't tell me there was another set of Clow Cards left around somewhere!"_

_Eriol shook his head. "I wish that were the case. If so, then it would be much easier to understand our enemy. As such, it seems that whoever the other Cardmaster is, he—or even 'she' for all we know—uses cards created by Arya, and is accompanied by her reincarnation."_

"_Although the problem is finding out who her reincarnation is," Kero added, frowning, deep in thought. "Sakura, have there been any new students recently?"_

_The young Mistress of the Sakura Cards nodded. "Hai, there's Ametori Koryu-kun in our class, and Hanenendo Aiko-chan. She's a year below our grade," Sakura added._

"_Be wary around them. There's a chance that they are the enemy."_

"_Hoeee?! But they seem so nice… and Aiko-chan is a really shy girl…"_

"_Hiiragizawa-kun was nice, but he turned out to be more than he seemed," Tomoyo commented thoughtfully, and she smiled at the mage. Then a thoughtful look came onto her face. "But there seems to be more going on between the two than meets the eye…"_

"_Hoe?"_

"_Oh, nothing." Tomoyo didn't bother to tell anyone about the peculiar way Aiko acted whenever she was around Koryu._

"_I thought that Ametori-san seemed suspicious," Syaoran growled; Sakura frowned._

"_Demo, Syaoran, you didn't like him in the first place."_

"_Well, to be safe, I'll go to school with Sakura to check out these new 'students,'" Kero said. "If they have the same presence as our foes, then we've got 'em nailed!"_

"_Oh, and Sakura-san..."_

"_Hai, Eriol-kun?"_

"_Be careful. From what happened, there is a good chance that you are what they are after. You must be on your guard at all times."_

_-End Flashback-_

"So the next time I see that Ametori-san I'll throttle him." Syaoran seemed dead-set on doing just as he said, and Sakura tried to talk him out of it.

"Syaoran, we don't know for sure…"

He stopped, and she paused. "Syaoran?"

"Sakura…" There was a concerned tone in his voice, and as he turned to face her Sakura realized just how worried he was for her. "I couldn't do anything the last time we were attacked, and I don't want to be put in that position again. I don't want ot see you get hurt."

"Syaoran…" Sakura was touched by his concern, and knew that he meant every word he said. "Everything will be alright. Don't worry."

He laughed. "Your invincible spell again?"

"It's always worked."

The young Cardmistress was taken by surprise when he pulled her close to him, in a tight embrace. "I don't know what I would do if I couldn't do anything and lost you because of it."

She returned his embrace, tears falling. "It will be alright, Syaoran. Kero-chan believes we can pull through. So do Tomoyo-chan and Eriol-kun. Everything will be alright…"

Syaoran just smiled, knowing she was trying to cheer him up. "Sakura, it's raining now. I like it better when the sun shines..."

Unknown to them, a lone figure watched them from the skies. His silvery fur was tugged by the gentle wind, his powerful muscles rippling with every stroke of his draconic wings. The wolf, with a diamond embedded in his breastplate, watched them for his Master, and for the reincarnation of his old Mistress.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Alone together now, with Nakuru cooking something in the kitchen with Suppie (who was all tied up to keep him from escaping), Tomoyo watched Clow's reincarnation sitting in a comfortable armchair, his eyes on the book that lay in his lap. But she was skilled at reading other's body language, and the Daidouji heiress could tell that he wasn't really reading. It just looked like he was.

"Hiiragizawa-kun."

"Hmm?" He looked up from the book he was pretending to read, the Cheshire Cat smile that always annoyed Syaoran on his face as usual. "What is it, Daidouji-san?"

"I…" She knew it would have been better to allow him to speak on his own, but Tomoyo couldn't help but feel that if he didn't relieve himself of whatever was troubling him so much it would only grow worse. "I wanted to know… is there something bothering you?"

Ah, just like Tomoyo, to know when something was bothering someone. Eriol saw no reason to lie; she'd probably see through it anyways. "Yes, in fact, there is."

"What is it?"

For once Eriol was at a loss for words, and his smile faded. He did not know how to, he wasn't sure if he wanted to, tell her about Kaho. The silence lengthened and grew, falling oppressively upon them. Still, the Daidouji heiress waited patiently for a response.

"Daidouji-san… will you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Hai." It was apparently more serious than she had figured, if he didn't want to tell anyone else about it. It felt odd, but strangely satisfying, to know that she was the only one he would talk to of his burden.

"Kaho… she…"

"What happened with Mizuki-sensei?" Tomoyo ignored the tiny, unexplainable twinge of jealousy that appeared out of nowhere within her. Although she had now come to love Sakura the way a mother loves her daughter now, since Sakura had already found her one love in Syaoran, she didn't think she'd ever find a love so soon. So, she ignored the little bit of jealousy as if it didn't exist.

"She is gone."

"Gone?" Tomoyo knew, without speaking aloud, what he meant. And it caused her grief, and understanding of why Eriol was bothered so.

"I believe… I believe that she died… because of Sakura's mysterious attackers." Tomoyo saw a side of Eriol she'd never seen before; now, at this moment, he wasn't his usual cool, collected self. He was now simply Eriol, without the infinite wisdom and patience of Clow, just a boy devastated by the loss of one he loved more than any other.

"Maybe I should have been there… then she wouldn't have… she'd still be…"

The young Daidouji heiress slowly walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him in a comforting embrace. "Hiiragizawa-kun… I know you loved her a lot, more than anyone else. But I don't think Mizuki-sensei would be happy if she saw you like this."

To her surprise, she felt droplets of water, and realized he was actually crying. Now this was definitely different from the Eriol everyone knew. "I don't think Mizuki-sensei liked it whenever it rained."

Unknown to Tomoyo, Eriol smiled sadly. He felt… warm. Happier now than he had been when he learned that Kaho was forever gone from his life. "You're right, Daidouji-san… Kaho always preferred it when the sun shined…"

Unknown to them, the sympathetic girl and the grieving boy, a figure with unruly blonde hair watched from the sky, looking in through the window. His hazel eyes shone with strange malice, as if he were staring at grotesque insects. His black draconic wings kept him hovering in that spot, but he moved from this position to see something a little more interesting.

Looking in through the kitchen window, he viewed a young woman transferring cookies from a cooking tray to a plate, with a black cat stuffed animal with blue wings tied up and staring at her with apprehension. The woman had long brown hair, with a braid of it hanging over her right shoulder. She wore a frilly pink apron, and was humming happily. She and Suppie were the only ones there, as she had chased the cooks who worked for Daidouji Sonomi out so tha tshe could do her business.

"You shouldn't be doing this… you know what sweets do to me…"

"Aw, don't worry Suppie-chan!" Nakuru chirped happily. "Just wait until I put the frosting on after the cookies cool!"

"Oh the joy…"

The man smirked. _It will quite interesting when I get to fight her… no one can hide their true power from me…_

**Author's Notes: Sorry if this is a lame attempt at some SxS and ExT. I am new at this. And no action this time either. I doubt there will be any actiony scenes in next chapter either, but I can probably predict that there will still be a bit of magic involved. -smiles- Stay tuned! And thanks to all my dedicated readers who actually reviewed! And put me on their alert list!**


	8. Yasumi no Jikan

Disclaimer: CCS is the property of CLAMP, and does not belong to the fanfic author Hikawa Kajinendo. So please do not sue me unless you want the two tons of dust in my wallet

* * *

Cycle 7: Yasumi no Jikan

Toya was just walking towards his next class, chatting with Yukito and Tsukito, when a sudden shout sent a shiver down his spine.

"Toya-kuuun!"

_I know that voice! And if it's who I think it is…_

He was nearly knocked over from behind. Nakuru, in the uniform of the students who go to the college, was hugging him tightly. "Akizuki!"

"Nuh-uh-uh! Call me NA-KU-RU!" With each syllable of her name the hyperactive girl wagged her finger side to side. "And konnichiwa, Yukito-san!"

"Hello," he replied, smiling. "It is good to see you again, Akizuki-san."

She nodded happily before turning her head to look at Tsukito, who was watching with a small grin. "Hello! Who are you?"

"Kajihana Tsukito at your service, madam." Tsukito bowed and spoke very formally, and Nakuru decided to play along. She let go of Toya (who was finally able to breathe properly) and curtsied, a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Why, it is good to meet you kind sir!" She suddenly had a fit of the giggles, and Tsukito looked at her with a grin, obviously amused. "I'm Nakuru! Akizuki Nakuru!"

"Oh, I know," Tsukito said under his breath.

"Nani?"

"Nothing! Just call me by my first name."

"And you can call me by my first name too! Like Toya-kun!"

"Akizuki, what are you doing back here?" Toya was annoyed. Would he now have to put up with being assaulted at every turn again? True, the other times she had done it were probably because she didn't want him telling Yukito about his 'other self,' but now she would probably do it just for fun.

"I'm taking classes at this college like you are, why else?" Nakuru chirped cheerfully, ignoring Toya's groan of dismay. Yukito laughed.

"Happy as always, Akizuki-san."

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Once again, Syaoran was barely paying any attention to whatever it was Onigiri-sensei was talking about. Instead, he was glaring at the two people in his class that he liked the least: Hiiragizawa Eriol and Ametori Koryu.

_Great, now I have to put up with them both. Now I have anther reason to wish these attacks weren't happening; it would've made Eriol's stay MUCH shorter and I wouldn't have to see him at school._ He was still suspicious of Koryu, even if yesterday Kero had said that he couldn't find anything suspicious about him or Aiko. _Besides, they might be hiding their presences like Eriol could._

Meanwhile, Sakura was jotting down as many notes as possible. Math was her worst subject still, and she needed every single note she could get down to study. The bell rang, signaling the end of the period and the beginning of lunch. As people began filing out of the classroom, she noticed the intense glare her boyfriend was giving Eriol, who was chatting with Tomoyo, and Koryu, who was teaming up with Takashi and lying to Naoko and Rika.

"Syaoran, you aren't suspicious of Koryu-kun still are you? Kero-chan said that there was nothing suspicious about him or Aiko-chan."

"I still don't trust him," Syaoran answered; since Eriol was now out of sight his full gaze was upon Koryu. "I still remember how he looked at you the first day he was here."

"Syaoran…"

Lunch introduced something very interesting. Now Takashi, Koryu, and Eriol all teamed up to tell a lie about goldfish. Sakura, of course, believed every word, and Aiko seemed to be falling for it as well. Both Koryu and Eriol were effective at keeping Chiharu from strangling her boyfriend to make him stop lying, so she just sat there eating quietly, unable to do anything to stop them.

"Ohohohohoho! They make such a good team, don't they?" Tomoyo made it more of a statement than a question. Her gaze fell on Eriol, who winked at her in a conspiratorial way. The Daidouji heiress felt her face heat up, and she looked away. _N-No, that was nothing… why would I overreact to a simple wink?_

Only one person noticed this, and gears began turning in that person's head. _So is that how it is…?_

"Chiharu-chan, can't you do something? Sakura-chan and Aiko-chan think that they're telling the truth, and I doubt goldfish originally had scales of real gold," Rika whispered, and her friend shook her head dejectedly.

"Hiiragizawa-kun and Koryu-kun keep blocking me. I can't do a thing to stop them."

The trio had just finished lying about the origins of board games when the bell rang to signal the end of lunch. Aiko was the first to finish picking up her things and started for her next class.

"S-S-Sayonara, m-minna. See you tomorrow," she said in her usual soft voice, and ran off. Everyone watched as she suddenly tripped and fell on her face. "I-Itai..." Aiko got up, looked back at them, blushed, and sped off lightning-fast.

"Aiko-chan is a little clumsy isn't she?" Naoko asked Koryu, who nodded.

"Hai, it seems so. But she's pretty fast when she's embarrassed."

School passed by slowly. It seemed as if years had passed by the time the final bell rang, and students began packing up to go home, or to their various club activities. Koryu was the first out as he pushed through the crowd of students at the door, his excuse being that he had to help Aiko study for an upcoming test in her history class and that she was waiting for him. Tomoyo watched him go with a thoughtful look.

As a group, Syaoran and Sakura, hand in hand, and Eriol and Tomoyo left the school. Once they were sure no one was close enough to overhear them, they began talking about their foes, who haven't attacked for a while.

"I'm rather surprised," Eriol admitted. "I would think that they would keep attacking, if they were after Sakura-san."

Syaoran cracked his knuckles. "It just makes me mad thinking about it! They next time they show up I will make sure they will never be able to harm Sakura again!"

Tomoyo giggled. "Syaoran-kun is so protective; wouldn't you agree Eriol-kun?"

Clow's reincarnation nodded. "Hai, indeed I would Tomoyo-san."

"Hoee?!" Everyone looked at Sakura in shock, except maybe Eriol, wondering what it was that surprised her. "Tomoyo-chan, Eriol-kun, you're using each other's first names now?"

"We agreed to it yesterday, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said; her cheeks were tinged slightly pink. "We've gotten to know each other much better, since he is staying over at my house. Even Okaa-sama likes him now, as he is so polite."

"It seems Tomoyo-san's mother has also gotten used to the way Nakuru acts," Eriol added; Syaoran was annoyed by that Cheshire Cat smile on his face. "Although I do believe the cooks are getting tired of being chased out of the kitchen all the time, just so that she can bake some sweets."

"Hey, have your Guardians figured out our enemies' identity?" Syaoran interrupted; that same smile never left Eriol's face as he answered.

"No. But if they are at the college Nakuru should be able to find them. If she isn't busy with Sakura's older brother and his friend, that is."

"I still think that Ametori is one of our attackers," Syaoran grumbled. Sakura was about to protest when Eriol agreed.

"There is a possibility that he is, and has learned to hide his presence. We cannot rule out that possibility until we know for sure whether it is or is not him."

Sakura was still doubtful that it was Koryu, being the trusting soul that she is. Soon, the group split up, Eriol and Tomoyo walking to the Daidouji estate, with Syaoran walking Sakura home before he went to his apartment where he stayed with his butler Wei. All were unaware of the eyes that watched them, the eyes of the two who would report directly to their Master.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"Tadaima!"

"Okaeri!" Sakura was happy to hear Fujitaka's voice. He had been gone for several days, which meant that he did not know of Sakura's short time of being unconscious.

"Otou-san!" After removing her shoes and putting on her house slippers she ran to him and hugged him. He hugged her back and smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry I was gone for so long. The trip had several setbacks."

"It's okay!" Sakura chirped. "I'm just happy you're back!"

"Oh, and Toya told me he wanted to see you once you got home. He said it was something important."

"Hoe?" Sakura looked at him with confusion. "Why does Oniichan want to see me?"

Fujitaka shrugged. "I don't know, but you should go see him anyways. He's in his room right now."

"Hai!" When she got there, she found Toya sitting on the edge of the bed, drumming his fingers on the mattress impatiently.

"Oh, so you finally arrive. I guess a kaijuu is always late."

Annoyed, Sakura marched over to him, and attempted to stomp on his foot. She missed. "Oniichan! I am not a monster! By the way, why did you want to see me?"

Toya looked his sister straight in the eye. "I wasn't sure at first, but I met someone at the college who seems to be the same as Yukito and Akizuki."

**Author's Notes: I honestly did not know Aiko-chan was a little clumsy (actually, she's probably more clumsy than that, but I'm not sure yet). Whenever I make a character they take on a life of their own and surprise me with hidden characteristics. Such as Koryu-kun's knack for lying. Or Tsukito-kun's peculiar sense of humor. And the title means Time of Rest by the way, for those who do not know enough Japanese. Thanks to everyone still reading and reviewing! -twirls in chair- Stay tuned!**


	9. Trailing Behind

Disclaimer: CCS is not mine. If it were, then why am I writing a FANFICTION?

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Cycle 8: Trailing Behind

"Hoe?" Sakura blinked in surprise. "But how are you sure Oniichan?"

"I had my suspicions after everything that stuffed animal thing told me. I talked to Yuki's other self, Yue, and he agreed." Toya was used to the fact that his best friend and the Moon Guardian were two different people in the same body; it just surprised him sometimes whenever Yue appears. "And before I lost my powers I could tell Akizuki was like Yukito, so if this guy is the same…"

"Then the enemy Cardmaster has Guardians also."

"Hoeeeee!" The Cardmistress stared at Kero with surprise. "Kero-chan! Don't scare me like that!"

The little Sun Guardian shrugged. "We cannot deny the fact that Arya was powerful enough to make her own version of the Clow Cards; she probably made Guardians as well."

"Demo, would they really appear out in the open where they might be detected?"

"He probably thought he was safe," Toya said, "or at least that's what the stuffed animal told me."

"I'm not a stuffed animal!"

He ignored the infuriated Kero, and continued to speak. "Akizuki probably can tell if he is powerful, but I really don't want to ask her…"

"So who is it, Oniichan?"

"He's in some of my classes, his name is Kajihana Tsukito. Black hair, amethyst-colored eyes, and very athletic. And his first name is written with the kanji character for the moon."

"Hmmm..." The little Guardian seemed lost in thought before he spoke. "Alright! Cardmistress's brother, next time you go to school take me with you! I will evaluate this guy!"

Toya glared. "I do not want to be seen carrying a plush toy like you around all day."

"I'm not a toy! And you can just keep me in your bag as long as there's room and a small opening so I can breathe! And don't forget sweets also!"

Sakura sweatdropped anime-style as the argument continued. It went on for a good hour and a half before they agreed. Kero would stick with Toya to check out Tsukito, and if he really was a Guardian then they would follow him after school to wherever he lived.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

The next day, Syaoran told Sakura, Tomoyo, and Eriol of the plan he had come up with the previous night.

"Just to make sure, we should follow Koryu after school to make sure he is or isn't our enemy."

"Demo, Syaoran…"

"Sakura, it's only to make sure. If he really is the guy, then…" Syaoran didn't say anything more, just cracked his knuckles.

"I agree with the plan of my cute little descendant." Eriol had on his Cheshire Cat smile as he spoke, and that plus Eriol's nickname for him made Syaoran quite annoyed. Tomoyo smiled.

"I have my video camera in my bag. We can watch the tape afterwards for any details we could have missed." She had entirely different reasons for wanting to follow Koryu. He had told everyone during lunch that he and Aiko were going to study together again, as she wasn't very good with history and her test was drawing steadily nearer. The Daidouji heiress giggled silently to herself. _Those two would look almost as cute as Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun together! This is too good of an opportunity for me to miss._

The finals hours came and went. Koryu, again, was the first out the door. Sakura and the others waited for a moment before following him, taking care not to be seen by their target. They watched as Koryu waited patiently by the door of another classroom, where he was greeted by a slightly blushing Aiko.

As the two set off, Syaoran, Eriol, Tomoyo, and Sakura followed close behind. But it wasn't as fruitful as Syaoran expected. First the pair stopped at an ice cream stand, where Koryu graciously paid for both his and Aiko's. Tomoyo, who was recording everything, couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. "Kawaii…"

Then the bookstore came next. Sakura wasn't sure what the two had bought in there, but judging by the bag it was a lot of books. They also stopped by the bakery, the electronics store, the crafts store, and the pet store before finally heading to Koryu's mansion.

"What do they need all that stuff for?" Syaoran asked; he was amazed at the number of bags the pair was carrying. Tomoyo laughed softly.

"I noticed in the craft store that Aiko-chan bought a teddy bear kit," she said, smiling. "I wonder who it's for."

"Hoe?"

"Hurry, they're getting away!" Syaoran hissed, and they quickly followed.

Koryu and Aiko were chatting about their day and were oblivious to the fact that they were being followed. The Daidouji heiress noticed how much more relaxed and more confident Aiko was with Koryu without anyone else nearby. The girl didn't even blush once, not even a little.

And then they were there. Everyone looked at the mansion, which seemed slightly larger than the Daidouji estate. "My, my, his family must be quite rich," Eriol noted. "Astounding."

"Hoeee, this place is huge!"

"But we didn't find out anything," Syaoran sighed. "So I guess I was wrong. Sorry for wasting your time everyone."

"It's okay, Syaoran." Sakura gave him a warm hug, which he returned happily. "I know you just wanted to be sure of my safety!"

The four were unaware of eyes watching them as they left. From a third-floor window, Koryu's brown eyes had a cold look in them. Running a hand through his dark green hair, he sighed. "I had no idea they were following us. It was probably that Li Syaoran who was still suspicious of me."

"But they haven't found out the truth." Aiko also turned to the window to see the four leaving. "And suspicions are nothing without proof, which we haven't given them."

"True." Koryu withdrew a book from his bag, titled "THE HARBINGER." He opened it and began examining the cards within. _His_ cards, the ones he had worked so hard to capture and transform. "But I'm surprised. As Arya's reincarnation, wouldn't you have sensed their presences behind us?"

"I was trying to hide my own presence, never mind sensing others," Aiko softly replied; she didn't tell him that all her attention had been focused on a certain someone. "As I'm sure can be said for you. But after absorbing the power of that woman we found in England, you should be powerful enough to sense anyone within a two-mile radius."

"The more powerful the presence, the harder it is to hide it. At least until you get used to it." The Cardmaster glanced over at Aiko, who was twirling her dark brown hair around one finger. "But you are still better at it than I."

"At least you weren't lying when you said you had to help me," Aiko sighed. Koryu laughed.

"I am rather astounded though. To think that you needed help studying for a class!"

"I may be Arya's reincarnation, but all I hold of her are her memories and her magic. The part of me that is Aiko is not good in her history class."

"So then, let's begin." Aiko withdrew her textbook from her bag, frowning.

"Wait a minute. What about Lun—I mean, Tsukito? What if he gets found out?"

Koryu only smiled knowingly. "If he is, I won't worry. They won't be able to trace him back to us."

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"Really?"

"Hai, really." Kero sat in front of Sakura on the floor of her room, eating takoyaki, his favorite food after sweets.

"So then…"

"Exactly!"

"But…"

"It was tiring. I never expected to be chasing that takoyaki around town!" Kero had just finished telling Sakura about his and Suppie's little adventure, remembering it as he ate the takoyaki. (A/N: What did you think they were talking about?) "Oh, and it's confirmed, although we never found out where he lived."

"What is? Who?"

"That guy in your brother's classes, he has a significant amount of power. Kajihana Tsukito has the magical energy of the moon within him, like Yue and Ruby Moon, which means he is most likely our enemy's Moon Guardian."

**Author's Notes: Well, now we know who the enemy is, although I bet many of you suspected it right from the start. And the wolf? I'll try to make Solarus appear again in a larger role than in Cycle 7: Rain. He is important as well. And thanks to all my dedicated readers! -happy dance- Stay tuned!**


	10. Lunar Attraction

Disclaimer: Why I have to repeat this, I do not know. Anyways, I do not own CCS, nor will I ever unfortunately.

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Cycle 9: Lunar Attraction

"I think I'll strike tomorrow." Koryu stared out the window at the setting sun, as it illuminated the sky with its fading glow.

Aiko looked up from where she was studying her notes. "So soon? It hasn't been that long since your last attack."

"The time is drawing nearer. I need all the power I can gather, and the Cardmistress holds a significant amount of it. She'll probably be my last target." The Master of the Harbinger Cards didn't notice the worried look that appeared in the eyes of Arya's reincarnation.

"The Li boy and Clow's reincarnation also hold a great amount of power as well. Perhaps not as much as the girl, but since they are nearby why not take their power too?"

Koryu didn't hear the slightly desperate tone in her voice. "We shall see if I will have to. But if I don't get more power soon, it won't matter anyways."

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"Tomoyo-san."

"Hai?" The Daidouji heiress and Hiiragizawa Eriol were both sitting at the piano, and his fingers paused in their playing. Just to pass the time, he had been playing the piano while she sang in accompaniment. They had been perfectly synced.

"I wish to thank you." The smile on his face was not his usual Cheshire Cat smile, the smile that hinted at a greater knowledge. Rather, it was a genuine smile of gratitude. This threw her off for a moment before Tomoyo answered.

"For what do you wish to thank me, Eriol-kun?"

"For what you had done the other day. We did not know each other very well, but you nevertheless allowed me to let my feelings pour out, and you comforted me in my grief. That is what I wish to thank you for."

Tomoyo smiled, her amethyst eyes shining with happiness. "There is no need to, Eriol-kun. I was worried that it would only grow and sadden you more, so I did what I could."

"You have a kind and gentle heart," Eriol said softly. "You place the happiness of others before your own, and you do what you can to make sure they are happy. I am sure that the one who you give your heart to will be lucky to have your love."

"I am sure," she replied just as softly, her gaze never leaving the navy-haired boy, "that you are right. But who is the one I will love, the one whose own heart I would hold dear as they treasure mine?"

"It could be someone you know," Eriol said. "It might be someone you spend a great amount of time with, without even realizing that it is he that you love more than any other. He could be far away, or closer than you think."

He looked back at her, still smiling. "And I am sure you will find him, your number one person."

"Yes…"

Without being aware of it, they moved a little closer to each other, barely touching, together on the piano bench, their hearts growing fonder and fonder for each other as time passed. And how can one truly predict the outcome of love? It is a force powerful enough to change the course of the future, as the thread that connects those who are destined to be together is everlasting. Not even the most powerful sorcerer can see it, yet it is felt when two hearts who are connected find their love in each other, and make a promise that lasts for eternity.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Nakuru wondered at the elated feeling she felt, the feeling she received each time she was around her new-found friend Tsukito. She had felt extreme joy before, but this kind of happiness was one she had never felt until recently. Suppie noticed the difference as she mixed the ingredients for a chocolate cake, humming a nonsensical yet happy tune.

"You seem cheerful," the Sun Guardian of Eriol commented; Nakuru giggled.

"Aren't I always?"

"Not in this way." He made a futile attempt to free himself from the ropes that bound him, to no avail. He was trapped until the Moon Guardian decided to let him loose. "I've never seen you happy like this before."

"I'm not sure myself, Suppie-chan! It's really exciting!" She twirled, a splatter of cake mix landing on Suppie's nose. "I'm not sure what this feeling is, but I feel really happy when I'm with Tsukito-kun!"

"Who?"

"He's a new student at Toya-kun's college! He's really funny and he's good at sports!"

"I see…" Suppie could only watch as Nakuru poured the batter into a pan, and stuck it in the oven. "And I hope you're not planning to feed me that entire cake."

"Nope!"

This caught the blue-winged black cat by surprise. "Are you sure you're alright? You usually feed me any sweets you make…"

"This one is for Toya-kun and Tsukito-kun! Well, maybe I'll share with Yukito-san too! But most of it I'll give to Tsukito-kun!"

"I do believe that you are sick," Suppie muttered. "Your behavior is quite different from how you usually act."

"Don't think I forgot about you Suppie-chan!" Nakuru was grinning at him, and this sent fear running through his veins. "I made some cupcakes for you to eat!"

He was helpless as she began feeding him the delicious delicacies. Not that he cared after the first bite, as he drunkenly began insisting for more.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Tsukito had his eyes closed as he lay under the night sky, feeling the comforting presence of a full moon. Close by the Sun Guardian Solarus was also lying down, a small bundle of silver fur in his disguise form. The Moon Guardian of the Harbinger Cards opened his eyes and let out a sigh.

He had been trying to push back the odd feeling he had received around Nakuru earlier. Talking to her, making her laugh, seeing the young woman smile… for some unfathomable reason it gave him a strange unfamiliar happiness. But he had to suppress that feeling. The day would come when he had to fight her in their true forms, so he could not allow himself to hesitate in attacking when the time came.

He knew his enemies. There was Akizuki Nakuru of course; though he wouldn't admit it to himself he secretly hoped she was strong, for her own sake. Tsukishiro Yukito was another, and Tsukito had no qualms about fighting his true form. He would most likely have to fight them at the same time; the thought both excited and annoyed him at the same time.

_Of all the people in this world, it had to be her. _Perhaps it was just coincidence that she reminded him of a woman he had loved so long ago, when his Mistress Arya was truly alive. Certainly it was her personality that brought back memories, cherished memories, but also memories of how he would never be able to have her as she already belonged to another. His thoughts traveled back to Nakuru, wondering if it was just coincidence her personality was similar to his old love's. _But Master told me that there is no coincidence in this world, only 'hitsuzen.'_ (A/N: Anybody recognize that?)

Frowning a little he stood, and a magic circle appeared beneath him. Within it were kanji and English characters, and nine planet symbols in the center, the sun, moon, and star symbols on the border. He was engulfed in silvery fire, and when it faded into nonexistence he spread open the black draconic wings that had appeared on him.

Lunarus's hazel eyes fell on the sleeping dragon-winged wolf cub, and he shook his head. _Better to let Solarus sleep. He'll be less grumpy when he wakes up._ He leapt into the air, feeling the wind tug at his unruly blonde hair as he flew. Lunarus knew the Master and Arya's reincarnation would be annoyed if they found out he had gone off on his own in his true form, but only if they found out.

His destination: a certain mansion belonging to a certain friend of the Cardmistress where a certain someone he knew was staying. The first window he looked in revealed a room where a navy-haired boy sat playing the piano, the amethyst-eyed girl sitting next to him singing in perfect accompaniment. Lunarus let the feelings he received from hearing the beautiful melody flow through him, an intoxicating tune. It was a song played from the heart, the words being sang from the heart, but neither of the two in the room knew that.

Now he was looking into a different room, where a certain young woman lay sleeping after feeding a certain cat thirty cupcakes, her window open to let in the crisp night air. The Moon Guardian silently flew in, simply watching the brunette sleeping peacefully. He felt the tiniest bit of regret that they had to be enemies, but there was no helping it. Softly, gently, he leaned over, closer and closer, placing the gentlest of kisses upon her lips before leaving, knowing he would later regret confirming the feelings he had tried so hard to deny.

Nakuru had not awoken, but a smile came upon her face. In her dreams, she had come to realize what her unknown feeling was, and it made her heart soar. In the Moon Guardian's dreams, her feelings had been accepted and returned, and she was smiling because of her newfound happiness.

**Author's Notes: Well, this one was totally unplanned. Tsukito/Lunarus completely surprised me here. Again, no action, but I can guarantee some in the near future. And I apologize for there being no SxS, although there was ExT. I had planned on focusing this Cycle on Eriol and Tomoyo but it didn't entirely do that. Those two are taking their time in figuring out their feelings for each other. -plays slow song on violin- Stay tuned...**


	11. Entrapped

Disclaimer: Don't own CCS, and never will. Ever. -sniffle-

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Cycle 10: Entrapped

"So our enemy really does have Guardians?"

"Hai! Kero-chan said that someone named Kajihana Tsukito had inside him the power of the moon, power like Yue and Ruby Moon!" Sakura nodded to emphasize the confirmation. It was after school now, and Eriol, Tomoyo, and Syaoran had been listening intently to what Sakura was saying about what Kero had told her the previous night. Eriol frowned.

"I wonder if that's the same Kajihana Tsukito that Nakuru was talking about this morning."

"It might be," Tomoyo said. "But if it is, then why didn't Nakuru-chan sense his power?"

"She might have dismissed it as being Yue's power that is in Tsukishiro-san."

Syaoran sighed. "None of that tells us our enemy's identity."

Eriol shook his head. "Not quite, my cute little descendant. We now have confirmation that the enemy Cardmaster has Guardians, so if he is sending one of them to the college he must be living nearby."

"Stop calling me that!"

"K-Konnichiwa…"

Taken by surprise, they turned to see Aiko standing behind them, twirling a lock of her dark brown hair around a finger. "Umm… T-Tomoyo-chan?"

"Hai?"

"C-Could you come help me with something, please?" The girl was obviously uncomfortable talking in front of the group, despite the fact they were people she knew.

"Of course! What is it, Aiko-chan?"

"I-I was recommended to join the choir, but I don't know where the room is…"

"Don't worry, I'll show you where it is," Tomoyo assured her. She looked at the others. "I'll be back soon. All she has to do is talk to the teacher, since the choir has already finished practicing today."

"We'll wait, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura chirped.

After an hour, Syaoran glanced back at the school. "What's taking her so long?"

Then, abruptly, they felt it. The young Cardmistress glanced worriedly at her friends. "Eriol-kun, Syaoran, did you feel it too?"

"Yes, I did," Eriol replied, while Syaoran just nodded. It was that familiar presence, the one that had appeared before. "I never expected our enemy to attack today."

They ran back into the school, feeling the presence growing stronger and stronger. Then suddenly it grew fainter and fainter. "It's outside now!"

Syaoran was right. But when they finally were there, what awaited them was not their enemy, yet at the same time it was.

Koryu stood on the school roof, watching. He had used the SOAR Card to get up to the roof quickly after revealing his presence outside the school. In one hand he held the open book that was the GENERATE Card; in the other he held a white quill. "Let's see how they handle this."

The creature was the size of a school bus, and its body was close to the ground like a lizard. It bore six legs, with four deadly claws on each foot. Its head was wide and flat, its mouth literally stretching from ear to ear. It had eyes that showed an animalistic hunger, and an armor of small but tough scales that were a rusty red color. But what was most worrying were the large translucent lumps on its back, and inside two of them were…

"Tomoyo-chan! Aiko-chan!" Sakura cried, tears forming in her eyes. They were in separate lumps, curled up in fetal positions. Their eyes were closed, and Sakura was worried for them.

"Key that hides the power of the stars, reveal your true form before me! I, Sakura, command you under our contract! Release!"

"The key which hides the forces of darkness, reveal your true form to me! I, Eriol, command you under our contract. Release!"

The creature roared, a sound that seemed to echo in their ears even after it stopped roaring, and charged. His sun Staff glowing red with power, Eriol created a magical shield into which the creature crashed. But it recovered quickly.

Syaoran, having summoned his sword from its pendant, brought out an ofuda, using one of his spells. "Fuuka Shourai!" He knew it was too dangerous to use his lightning or fire spells as that might harm the girls. The force of the strong wind pushed the monster slightly until it settled onto the ground and anchored itself with its claws.

"SWORD!" With an elegant but deadly sword in hand, Sakura leapt at the creature, where it was slowly getting up after the wind had passed. That was a mistake.

From its mouth a long pink tongue whipped out, wrapping around Sakura's leg. She wasn't able to cut it off of her before she was dragged into the mouth and swallowed whole. Syaoran saw, horrified and angered, Sakura appeared in one of the see-through lumps on the beast's back, her card having deactivated and the Star Wand in its regular form again.

Watching, Koryu raised an eyebrow. "It seems the creature I made with GENERATE might be too tough for them after all."

Furious with himself for not having been able to stop the creature, Syaoran charged at it recklessly. His sword bounced off the scales, but he kept trying. The beast attempted to grab him with its unbelievably long tongue, but missed. Then it shrieked in pain when a blue bolt of magical energy struck it. Its hungry eyes turned skyward, where Yue prepared another shot.

The Moon Guardian had sensed the presence, and had come out to take care of it. Seeing his Mistress helpless inside the creature's body added fuel to the fire. Another shot was fired, and the creature lost a foot. Again, it shot out its long tongue only to lose it as Yue attacked the tongue with shards of crystal.

The Master of the Harbinger Cards glared at Sakura's Moon Guardian. "He dare interfere! That arrogant little…" Slowly a smile formed on his face. "So he wants a fight. I'll give him one. Solarus!"

The small wolf cub popped out of Koryu's bag, hovering in front of him. "Yes, Master?"

"Assume your true form." The Cardmaster stepped back as a cocoon of golden fire surrounded the little dragon-winged wolf cub. Then, the fire faded to reveal a fully-grown wolf in its place, with large black draconic wings and a breastplate with a large diamond in the center. "Now take care of that Moon Guardian."

Howling a battle cry, Solarus flew at Yue, fangs bared. Taken by surprise, the Moon Guardian barely evaded the attack. The diamond glowed, and the wolf spat fireballs at his opponent. Yue blocked the fireballs with a shield of magical energy, and fought back.

Eriol realized Yue was too busy to be able to assist them. He knew how Syaoran felt, as an unfamiliar anger replaced his usual calm. It had actually been growing in size, starting from when he first saw Tomoyo trapped in the beast. Clow's magic circle glowed beneath him as he charged his magic, and let loose a red bolt of energy. The creature roared in agony, and charged at the mage, who raised a magical barrier to protect himself.

Meanwhile, Syaoran was on top of the creature, hacking away at the lump that contained Sakura. "Hang in there; I'll get you out soon!" Little by little, pieces of it were chipped away until there was a tiny hole. A clear liquid oozed out, and Syaoran grew even more worried. He proceeded to widen the hole, until cracks began forming on the lump.

It shattered, spilling a gooey clear liquid and Sakura. She coughed, expelling the foul stuff, relieving Syaoran's fears. Slowly the Cardmistress opened her eyes, the first thing she saw being her love. "Syaoran?"

"Sakura!" He embraced her happily, ignoring the wet goo that clung to her. "I'm glad you're alright! Come on, we need to free the others."

Again, she used the SWORD Card, and split open the lumps containing Tomoyo and Aiko easily. The creature didn't seem to notice, as its attention was on Eriol. Sakura and Syaoran carried the unconscious girls off of the creature, and lay them down a safe distance away. Sakura deactivated the SWORD Card, feeling too tired to do anything more.

"You've done enough," Syaoran assured her, then rushed off to help Eriol. Now that the girls were safe, he could hurt the creature as much as he wished with his spells. "Kashin Shourai!"

The creature roared in extreme agony as it burned; then without warning it blew apart into pieces. It seemed that the liquid was explosively combustible. Koryu was surprised they had beaten his creation, as he had assumed they were losing. _Never underestimate these people…_

In the air, Yue was surprised when his enemy suddenly turned tail and fled. He was left no choice but to let him go, as the wolf left golden fireballs floating behind him. He had learned just recently that those fireballs would explode if he got too close. So he opted to check on the Cardmistress.

"Is she alright?"

"Don't worry, she's just sleeping now." Even in her sleep, Sakura clung tightly to Syaoran, who had been surprised when she suddenly collapsed into his arms. "I was worried too."

Eriol gently shook Tomoyo awake. "Tomoyo-san…" The reincarnation of Clow Reed was surprised to find she was completely dry. Unknown to any of them, the moment Koryu deactivated the GENERATE Card anything that was a part of his creation vanished, including the goo. "Tomoyo-san."

"She opened her eyes slowly, then blinked. "Where am I? This isn't the choir room."

"It's okay, you're fine now," Eriol murmured. "And that's all that matters." He looked over at where Aiko was, but saw she wasn't there. _I didn't see her wake up… was she also a mere victim in this, or was she just acting out a part laid out for her?_

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"The Cardmistress has gotten stronger faster than I had originally thought." Koryu glanced at Aiko, who seemed lost in thought for a moment. They were in his library, where she was sewing something and he had been staring out the window.

"What happened with the LABYRINTH Card was a part of that, as you had drained so much of her energy at once that her body had to make up for it. And more."

"And you probably revealed yourself when you just left like that." His voice held a disapproving tone, and it pained Aiko to hear it. "I thought Arya's reincarnation would know better?"

"I do," she said softly. "But her Moon Guardian was there. He probably would have found me out anyways."

Koryu wasn't watching now, so she didn't have to worry about hiding what she was sewing. It was halfway formed into a teddy bear, one that held special meaning to her. _He sees me with respect, as I am the reincarnation of a powerful sorceress, though not one as powerful as Clow Reed. But I don't want that. I want more; I want him to understand how _I_, Hanenendo Aiko,_ _feel._

_Koryu… I wish for you to understand, someday, before I lose you… I want you to know… I love you…_

**Author's Notes: Love is abundant in this story, isn't it? Aiko-chan's first name contains the kanji character for "love" did you know? Her last name (Hanenendo) contains characters for "feather" and "clay." Just so you know. And finally! Yue appeared! So does Solarus in his true form! -tries to cartwheel and fails horribly- Stay tuned!**


	12. Triple Entente

Disclaimer: Own Cardcaptor Sakura, I do not! (Translation: CCS is not mine)

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Cycle 11: Triple Entente

"I feel so sleepy…"

"So do I…"

"It seems that only those with magical powers were affected by the loss of energy that accompanied our battle with that creature yesterday." It was a weekend, and the four friends sat together in one of the Ferris wheel carriages at the amusement park that had been built where Eriol's mansion once stood. Here they could relax, as Eriol had stated that their enemy would most likely not wish to attract attention to himself, so they wouldn't be attacked wherever there were a lot of people around. Tomoyo gave the navy-haired mage a questioning look.

"Why do you say that, Eriol-kun?"

"Tomoyo-san, do you feel tired?"

"No..."

"Well, Sakura-san, my darling relative and I are quite drained after yesterday's battle. And there is also how Sakura-san felt after the other times we faced our mysterious foe."

"Oh, I see!"

"What did I tell you about calling me that?" Syaoran growled at Eriol, then slumped back against his seat. "I would throttle you right now, but I'm too tired. You got lucky this time."

"Um, Syaoran, Eriol-kun, Tomoyo-chan…"

"Hai, what is it Sakura-chan?" The Daidouji heiress joined her friend by the window, and the boys followed suit.

"Look!" Where Sakura pointed, they could see huge plumes of smoke. But that wasn't all. In another spot pillars of rock were rising up and a good distance away from there giant waves of water could be seen. "It's that same presence again."

"You're right," Eriol said, frowning. "But with the way those are set up, it's as if…"

"As if he wants us to split up," Syaoran finished, annoyed. "But I don't see how we have any other choice!"

Tomoyo had a worried expression on her face as she stared out the window. "I hope everyone is alright…"

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Koryu smiled, looking upon his handiwork. _The VOLCANO, MOUNTAIN, and OCEAN Cards are certainly doing what I asked of them. I would have used SKY as well if it wasn't so gentle. _He watched as the Cardmistress and her firends disembarked from the ferris wheel carriage, and activated the CRHONO Card.

"Put everyone to sleep except for Sakura, Syaoran, Eriol, and Tomoyo. SLUMBER." Once the card finished its work, he stopped the CHRONO Card; no one except for himself, his Guardians and Aiko noticed time had stopped.

_But Aiko was right when she said I need all I the power I can get. After I take care of the Cardmistress I'll deal with the last two._

He watched as Cerberus and Yue arrived, but couldn't hear the instructions Sakura gave them. Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon had also came, and the Cardmaster did not see the tender look Lunarus gave Eriol's Moon Guardian for a split second before making his face a cold, emotionless mask once more. Both he and Solarus were standing slightly behind their master, with Aiko standing next to him.

"Are you sure they can handle this?"

"If they can't, there won't be much left of Tomoeda by the end of today."

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"Kero-chan, I need you to take Syaoran to where the fire is!"

"I may not like the kid much, but I will," the Sun Guardian said, and the Chinese boy settled onto his back. Cerberus took off, heading straight for where the plumes of smoke were rising into the sky.

They were attacked by bursts of black fire sent in their direction, some of which Cerberus had to counter with his own flaming breath. Syaoran saw a figure materialize from the flames in the streets, colored in different shades of black, and he realized what it was. "It's the enemy's FIREY Card!"

Meanwhile, Spinel was carrying Eriol to where the water flowed. The mage was not surprised when the water began to attack them when they neared it. Ruby Moon managed to stop the tendrils of water before they reached her, Spinel, and Eriol with shards of red crystal, though the water kept attacking. Eriol was intrigued. "This is like the WATERY Card…"

Tomoyo had to stay behind, where it was safest, as she had no magical powers. Sakura activated the FLY Card, and right after wings sprouted on her back she took off, Yue not far behind. The tall spires of rock reminded Sakura of something, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Without warning fragments of stone were sent at them, and Yue raised a magical barrier to protect himself and the Cardmistress. A yellowish-brown serpent of stone burst from the ground, and Sakura suddenly realized why it seemed so familiar. "It's like EARTHY!"

Koryu watched the individual fights going on, still smiling. "I wonder if they can handle the power of those Cards. Surely by now they've realized what they're up against."

Cerberus flew expertly past the black fireballs that were created by the VOLCANO Card, and Syaoran attempted a spell.

"Suiryuu Shourai!" Water burst out from the ofuda that clung to his sword, but did little to no damage whatsoever to the enemy card. She merely smiled, and a large burst of black flames nearly consumed him and Cerberus. Obviously his magic wasn't strong enough alone to take on this card.

"Don't you have anything stronger?" Cerberus shouted, dodging more flames. Syaoran tried a different spell, with identical results.

"If I used my wind or fire spell, it would only intensify the flames!"

At the same time, Eriol was trying to figure out how to force this card to assume its true form so that he could stop it. "Since it is a card that is almost exactly like the WATERY Card, it must have the same weakness."

"It would be easier if Sakura-chan could assist us," Ruby Moon commented, slicing a watery tentacle in two. "But she's busy too."

The Cardmistress certainly was. She tried to remember how she defeated the EARTHY Card, but it had been so long since that day she had completely forgotten. Yue destroyed any stone spire that attempted to spear them, and blocked several that tried to fall on their heads. Sakura racked her brain for a solution; she was worried about Syaoran and wanted to help him as soon as she could.

Then she remembered. "That's it! Yue-san, can you distract it for a bit longer please?"

He just nodded, and sent volleys of shards at MOUNTAIN's main body. It raised rocky pillars to defend itself, and retaliated by sending boulders flying in rhw Moon Guardian's direction.

"WOODY!" The WOODY Card wrapped MOUNTAIN with trees, and it was immobilized. It tried to free itself, but after a while it gave up. MOUNTAIN glowed, and it returned to a card form before flying off towards wherever its master was. Sakura didn't waste time to chase after it; instead she and Yue went to assist Cerberus and Syaoran.

With their help, it didn't take long for the VOLCANO Card to succumb. Though it seemed to be more than a match for the combined might of WATERY and WINDY, Yue and Cerberus aided the two cards, as did Syaoran. Admitting defeat, VOLCANO returned to her card form as well and fled.

Eriol meanwhile was boiling all the water with his magic, turning every inch of it into steam. Soon all that was left was OCEAN's main body. She leaped at the mage, but found herself stuck when Sakura's FREEZE Card found its mark. OCEAN glared at them all before she became a card again, going off in the same direction as MOUNTAIN and VOLCANO.

It had been a close call. All that remained now was repairing the damage before everyone woke up. Ruby Moon went to check on Tomoyo and bring her over, as she was instructed by Eriol. She paused, sensing a familiar presence. _No… this definitely _isn't _Yue-san's moon energy I sense… whose is it?_

Shrugging it off, she picked up Tomoyo, who saw the sight of Ruby Moon approaching her as a sign that everyone was okay. Especially Eriol.

Koryu smirked. "Indeed, they can't really do much damage to my cards without the Cardmistress's help. That Li Syaoran especially couldn't do as much as Hiiragizawa could in fighting my Harbinger Cards." He tucked the three defeated cards back into the deck of Harbinger Cards. Aiko was silent for a long time before she spoke.

"When will you take their powers?"

"Soon. After a few more battles they will be ready to be harvested."

**Author's Notes: Final battle soon? Maybe after a few more chapters. And why does Koryu need power other than (duh du jour) to become stronger? Why would I tell you now? Why ruin the surprise in store? -wicked cackle- Stay tuned!**


	13. A Haunting Melody

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN CARDAPTOR SAKURA STOP. DO NOT SUE ME STOP. THIS IS A FANFICTION AFTER ALL STOP.

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Cycle 11: A Haunting Melody

Sakura felt utterly exhausted the day after the battle against the VOLCANO, MOUNTAIN, and OCEAN Cards, but that didn't stop her from going to school. The same was for Syaoran and Eriol, and Tomoyo felt a little worried for her three magical friends. Several times they nearly fell asleep in class, and during lunch they were barely paying attention to the others. Aiko, being the kindhearted girl she is, was also concerned for the three.

_Koryu is pushing them to their limits. Though they get stronger after each attack, he gives them little time to rest._ Indeed, late the previous night he had struck again, and the young Cardmistress, the Chinese swordsman, and Clow's reincarnation all fought off CLOAK, DAY, and NIGHT Cards. Aiko wondered when Koryu was planning to attack them again, as she watched him teaming up with Takashi. Eriol seemed to be virtually asleep, his head resting on Daidouji Tomoyo's shoulder. And the young heiress didn't seem to mind it at all. _I wonder…if he is the one Tomoyo-chan holds closest to her heart… what will happen when Koryu takes his power _and_ his life?_ The brunette shoved the thought aside, not wanting to feel the guilt that would accompany it.

As only Koryu was teaming up with Takashi, Chiharu finally found a way to go around the boy and grab her boyfriend by the collar of his shirt. "C'mon, time to go. You can continue lying later."

Koryu seemed a little disappointed as he watched Takashi get dragged away, attempting to continue his lie. Then he sighed. "She's smart, that Chiharu-san. I should have seen it coming." Then a wicked smile came onto his face. "Would you all like to hear about the New Moon Spirit?"

"Hoeeee?!" Sakura clung fearfully to Syaoran, scared. Meanwhile, Naoko regarded Koryu with eyes sparkling behind her glasses.

"Please tell us, Koryu-kun!"

"Well, they say that on the night of a new moon, a young girl will appear," he began, chocolate brown eyes gleaming. "She will sing a song of despair and woe, and anyone who hears her voice will find themselves cold, alone, and soon unable to move. Supposedly she is the ghost of a girl who could sing beautiful songs, but was left heartbroken when her love died by the hands of a man who wanted her voice for his own. Her grief at being left alone in the world was so great, her songs began to only tell tales of sorrow, and she died on a night like that of when her love died: on the night of a new moon."

Syaoran embraced Sakura, softly whispering comforting words into her ear. He knew from plenty of experience how afraid she was of ghosts, but he was glad to be her source of comfort. But when he looked up, he didn't like the look Koryu was giving her, as if he was telling his story just to scare her. At the same time, Rika and Tomoyo, a sleeping Eriol's head on her shoulder, were listening intently, and Naoko was writing down every one of Koryu's words. Aiko also seemed to be listening, but acted like she had heard the story before.

"So she made a vow, upon the new moon, that she would forever wander the Earth as a ghost. She would never rest until she spread her loneliness to everyone she met, forever and ever."

"What was her name?" Rika asked.

"Her name was… Merodii Utaru." At this, a soft breeze blew, carrying with it the hints of a sad melody. This was quite eerie, and Sakura uttered a soft, "Hoeeeeee…"

"But wait… isn't tonight the night of a new moon?" Tomoyo asked, and Syaoran once more had to comfort the frightened Cardmistress.

The school hours passed quickly, and Onigiri-sensei gave them little homework except to study hard for the test the next day. But Sakura was a little preoccupied with something else to be worried about a measly test.

"I don't want to go out tonight, even if our enemy attacks again," Sakura said, sounding scared, and Syaoran sighed.

"It's because of that idiot Ametori's story, right?"

When she nodded, he gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Sakura. I'll be with you, and if I sense a spiritual presence I'll warn you so we can run away."

"Arigatou, Syaoran!" Sakura said, hugging her boyfriend. Tomoyo uttered a soft "Kawaii…" as she filmed them, and Eriol just smiled.

Late at night, they all gathered at the amusement park. Their enemy had shown up again, and his presence was very strong. Cerberus and Yue were with them, as were Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon. Tomoyo noticed Ruby Moon was smiling quite happily despite the fact their enemy was near, and she asked why.

"Tsukito-kun and I went to the movie theater today," the Moon Guardian replied. "He was so nice!"

"Have you told her yet that he's our enemy's Moon Guardian?" Syaoran asked Eriol; the mage shook his head.

"Every time I try, something interrupts me or her attention is drawn elsewhere," he replied.

Sakura was a little nervous; tonight was the night of a new moon, just as Tomoyo had said, and she was worried that the ghost would show up. But being with Syaoran made her feel much safer.

From the top of the clock tower, Koryu stood with Aiko and his Guardians, Moon Staff in hand as he readied a card. "Sing the song that Aiko has sung. MELODY."

A girl like the SONG Card appeared, her headgear resembling an alto clef instead of a treble clef, and she smiled sadly. Of course she loved to sing, but the song that the reincarnation of her old Mistress sang for her to copy had a sad tune. But as the Harbinger Card sang, she knew she could never match the original. The original was a tune sang from the heart.

_The world turns and turns, round and round,_

_But her happiness cannot be found,_

_A tale of a love never told,_

_Of a girl with a voice of gold,_

_A cruel twisted trick of fate,_

_Left her with sorrow far too great_

Tomoyo looked left and right, confused. "Can you hear it?"

"Hear what, Tomoyo-san?" Eriol asked; his question was repeated by Sakura and Syaoran.

"I hear singing. It's… it sounds so sad…"

_She loved him more than life,_

_By his side she knew no strife,_

_He was the one who wiped away her tears,_

_The one who chased away her fears,_

_Yet her love she hid within her heart,_

_Fearing that it would tear them apart_

Suddenly Tomoyo shivered, cold. Sakura was worried, and then she heard the song too. Realization struck the young Cardmistress as she too felt the cold that seeped into her skin. "I-It's just like Koryu-kun's story…"

Koryu meanwhile was smiling. He had activated the CHILL Card, a card that worked the same way as Sakura's FREEZE Card. He had ordered it to freeze the girls slowly and steadily. This time he was testing Eriol and Syaoran; he did not want the Cardmistress to interfere. In fact, he had also ordered it to freeze the Guardians as well; they shouldn't interfere either.

_Fate left her destined to be alone,_

_Now in her eyes joy never shone,_

_Her love was left unsaid,_

_And in her happiness was dead,_

_Joyous melodies were left unsung,_

_Songs of sorrow on her tongue_

"Sakura?" Syaoran grasped the hand of the girl he loved, and was shocked to feel it so cold. "Sakura!"

"Syaoran…" She gave him a scared look before she was encased in ice, frozen in place. The Cardmistress saw Cerberus and Yue also frozen, and she felt as if she could cry.

Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon also froze, with shock evident on their faces. Eriol was alarmed when he saw this, but he felt a sharp spike of fear in his heart as he watched Tomoyo slowly being encased in ice. "Tomoyo-san!"

"I hear it, Eriol-kun." There were tears in her amethyst eyes as she spoke. "The song. It's Utaru…"

"Tomoyo!" The reincarnation of Clow Reed was helpless as the Daidouji heiress was completely frozen. Again, he let tears fall from his sapphire eyes as he felt sorrow deep in his heart. Again, he was about to lose one he deeply cared for, one he cared for more than anyone else, more than even he knew.

Aiko prayed that Syaoran and Eriol would be able to pass this test, for the sake of Tomoyo and Sakura. _The key is to stop the song before it is finished. If MELODY finishes the entire song, and they haven't stopped her… anyone who is frozen will be left like that forever._

_Nakuru... no, Ruby Moon… _Lunarus felt concern for the Moon Guardian; while his brain said they were enemies, his heart said he loved her. _Li Syaoran, Hiiragizawa Eriol… please, succeed!_

**Author's Notes: I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I had a karate test tha tlasted for a long time, and it was exhausting! The lyrics of the song in this chapter (and the next) were written by Hanenendo Aiko-chan, sung by Aiko-chan, and performed by MELODY in Aiko-chan's voice. It is called Kakusareta Ai no Uta, or Song of Hidden Love. I wonder what Aiko-chan is trying to say in her song... -smiles sadly- Stay tuned...**


	14. Chanson de Effacement

Disclaimer: Again? Fine. Idon'townCardcaptorSakura. Please do not sue me. My wallet only contains lint

* * *

Cycle 13: Chanson de Effacement

_The world turns and turns, round and round,_

_But her happiness cannot be found,_

_A tale of a love never told,_

_Of a girl with a voice of gold,_

_A cruel twisted trick of fate,_

_Left her with sorrow far too great_

The haunting and woeful song was soon heard by Syaoran and Eriol; the voice sounded familiar, but they couldn't be sure. Syaoran looked over at Clow's reincarnation who, wiping away tears, agreed with him.

"We have to find the one who is singing that song."

_Even in death they cannot unite,_

_She made a vow one moonless night,_

_To wander the world to spread her woe,_

_To tell of a tale from long ago,_

_Of sapphires drowned in chocolate pools,_

_Of how hidden love makes many fools_

"I'll be back," Syaoran promised the frozen Sakura. "We will make it through." Eriol was promising the same to Tomoyo, slowly realizing his feelings towards her as he did. They ran off, following the sound of the voice. They guessing that they could free the Guardians and the girls if they found whoever was singing.

MELODY stood on the roof of the topmost carriage on the Ferris wheel, singing the long sorrowful song that Aiko had made. It was very sad, and it made the card wonder what Aiko was feeling when she wrote the song.

_Into eternity she wanders the earth,_

_Believing her life was not worth_

_The price that had been paid,_

_In her despair had been made,_

_Her songs were of woeful gold,_

_But what of her love left untold?_

They followed the sound of the song, growing hopeful when it grew louder, despairing when it faded. But they knew they were heading in the right direction now; the words were clear, the melody gradually becoming louder and louder. Eriol and Syaoran made a beeline for the Ferris wheel, spotting but not clearly seeing a small figure on the topmost carriage.

"That has to be Utaru!" Eriol shook his head at Syaoran.

"No, I believe it is not a ghost. This is not a spiritual presence; it is the presence of a card. Two cards, to be precise."

CHILL was not as big as its counterpart FREEZE; rather it was the size of MELODY's head, but its power made it the FREEZE Card's equal. It swam in circles around MELODY as she sang. Koryu watched, wondering if maybe Syaoran and Eriol would succeed after all.

_He had died protecting her,_

_But for her there was no cure,_

_A broken heart cannot be easily mended,_

_A torn soul that never ascended,_

_Vowing on the new moon,_

_She would not be peaceful soon_

"So what cards do you think they are?"

"It should be obvious, my darling relative!" The impatience that was evident in Eriol's voice stunned Syaoran into silence. The Chinese boy never expected to hear _that_ in the voice of Clow's reincarnation. "A card like FREEZE and another that is our enemy's SONG Card."

"So why haven't we been frozen?"

"He might be testing us, trying to see what we can do." Once they reached the Ferris wheel Eriol looked up, thinking of a way to get up there. Or bring their opponent down to them. His Sun Staff glowed red, and he used his magical energy to force the Ferris wheel to turn.

MELODY was surprised when the Ferris wheel began turning, but she didn't stop singing. CHILL, however, seemed a bit agitated and began moving in erratically wilder circles around her. Frost covered the top of the carriage she stood on, but she ignored the cold. MELODY had to keep singing.

_Why does she spread her woe,_

_To every town and city she may go?_

_Why does this girl sing so sadly?_

_What happened to the songs sang gladly?_

_Now forever unable to confess her love,_

_She cannot feel the joy others know of_

Now they heard MELODY, and felt the cold that CHILL was radiating. The topmost carriage of the Ferris wheel was now the bottommost one, and Syaoran readied an ofuda. "Now we will stop you and free the others!"

But CHILL disagreed. A wave of cold that froze everything it passed swept towards them, and Eriol barely had any time to create a barrier before it reached them. Syaoran growled, and performed his spell.

"Kashin Shourai!" A stream of flames burst from the paper seal that clung to his sword, and CHILL retaliated with a cold front that canceled out the fire.

On top of the clock tower, Aiko began worrying even more. MELODY was nearly finished singing her song; only two verses to go. Koryu was having second thoughts about whether or not Syaoran and Eriol would succeed. Lunarus meanwhile was thinking about going down there to help; but if he tried then Arya's reincarnation would probably stop him. So he did nothing but watch.

_One wanted her voice for his own,_

_The other wished for her joy alone,_

_The one she loved wished for her joy,_

_The other saw her as his toy,_

_They clashed over the girl,_

_The girl seen as a precious pearl_

Eriol sent bolts of red energy at CHILL, while Syaoran attempted to sneak around it. CHILL was preoccupied with Eriol; it did not realize that the young mage was merely distracting it. Syaoran stood in front of MELODY, and as he readied his spell he could've sworn the card had tears in her eyes.

MELODY was happy, so joyful that she felt like crying. They would pass their test after all. Though she had never met her counterpart, she felt a strange connection with the SONG Card. Perhaps it was because they were nearly the same. She closed her eyes, waiting for the attack that would force her to return to her card form.

_If only she knew,_

_He had loved her too,_

_If only she opened her heart,_

_They would not be apart,_

_Now a story with a tragic end,_

_Of a broken heart that will—_

"Raitei Shourai!"

MELODY returned to her card form to escape the pain, her song left unfinished. She fled back to the Cardmaster, and he calmly returned her to the deck. CHILL saw MELODY flee; it too returned to its card form. Koryu returned it to the deck too, and frowned.

"They cut it a little close there. If MELODY had said the last two words they would have failed."

Secretly, both Aiko and Lunarus were relieved, for different reasons. The Moon Guardian watched as Ruby Moon unfroze, returning to her disguise form, as did the other Guardians except for Yue. Aiko watched as Syaoran and Eriol rushed back to the girls, relieved that they were okay.

"Sakura!"

"Syaoran!" They embraced happily, and whatever cold Sakura still felt was erased by the warmth of the boy she loved. "You did it!"

Tomoyo was a little unsteady on her feet, and would have fallen if not for Eriol. She leaned on him gratefully, and the navy-haired reincarnation of Clow was surprised to feel his face heat up. "Arigatou, Eriol-kun."

"No need to thank me, Tomoyo-san. I would do anything to keep you safe." He said the last sentence so softly that the Daidouji heiress didn't hear it.

Kero huffed. "So what am I, chopped liver?" Sakura and Syaoran and Eriol and Tomoyo laughed, and together with the Guardians they departed from the amusement park. They were unaware of the ones watching them from atop the clock tower.

"I thought for sure they'd fail," Sloarus said; Koryu patted the wolf on the head fondly.

"Now, now, Solarus. We shouldn't underestimate these people."

"Even the girl who has no powers at all?"

"Her powers of observation are uncanny. She is quite unique in that aspect among those I've met," the Cardmaster admitted.

"So how many more times will you test them?"

"Perhaps a couple more times. But the next time I will not go easy on them." He smiled as he examined the BRAWL Card, planning out his next move. _Soon, very soon, the time will come. I need to be prepared for it._

**Author's Notes: The title means "Fading Song" in French (I think). And so the final battle is nearing. But... geez, could Syaoran and Eriol have cut it any closer?! Even I get nervous thinking about how close they came to failing! And do I spy Eriol actually _blushing_? Interesting! -trips and falls on face- Itai... stay tuned! (Ow...)**


	15. Double Trouble

Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. Cardcaptor. Sakura.

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Cycle 14: Double Trouble

"I'm bored!" High in the sky, a little creature like a stuffed animal complained loudly. He was keeping an eye on Sakura, who was currently walking from school with Syaoran, Eriol, and Tomoyo, and at this moment they were by Penguin Park. He had promised to Toya (after being offered basketfuls of sweets) to make sure Sakura was safe. The Cardmistress's older brother had been worried when his sister came home late the previous night, extremely tired and worn out. Kero had been worried too when Sakura suddenly became exhausted on the way back home. Another worry was how little they knew of their enemy.

_But he has a Sun Guardian as well, judging by what Yue said. _The thought of that excited Kero a little. Finally, he'd see some action! _But a wolf? Then again, from what I heard about her Arya once had a companion that was a wolf, so it would make sense that one of the Guardians she made was one as well._

"Sakura-chan!" The young Mistress of the Cards and her friends looked up to see Nakuru waving at them. The young woman was holding hands with Tsukito, and he too waved.

Alarms immediately went off in Kero's head as he watched from above. _Don't tell me he still hasn't told her! And why hasn't she sensed his magical power yet?!_

Nakuru dragged Tsukito over to them, and the young man didn't seem to mind in the least. To Tomoyo's skilled eye, it seemed he enjoyed being with Nakuru immensely; there was extra proof of that when she saw the look he gave the young woman when he thought no one was looking.

Sakura was smiling brightly. "Nakuru-chan! Who's your friend?"

"Everyone, this is Tsukito-kun!" Nakuru exclaimed cheerfully. "Tsukito-kun, this is Sakura-chan, Tomoyo-chan, Li-kun, and Eriol-kun!"

"Good to meet you all," Tsukito said, grinning. Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo all glanced at Eriol, who shook his head. Then the young man looked past them, and waved. "Hey there, Yukito-kun!"

"Oh, hello!" Yukito smiled and waved back as he joined the group. "And hello, Sakura-chan. Li-san, Daidouji-san, Hiiragizawa-san."

Just then, a catchy melody began sounding from Tsukito's pocket, and he gave them a chagrined look. "Ah, sorry. Let me get that. See you, Nakuru-chan." He gave her a wink and pulled his cell phone from his pocket as he walked away.

"Are they together?"

"Yes, Master." Tsukito looked back, and frowned a little. "You can begin now."

Koryu snapped his cell phone shut, smiling. "Time to begin."

"So what are you up to this time?" Aiko asked. From her backpack Solarus in his disguise form poked his head out, gasping for breath.

"Miss, I think you should go easy on the candy."

Aiko blushed, and glared at him. "W-What do you mean by that?!"

"You have a lot of it in here. Then there's also that sapphire-blue teddy bear. I'm amazed you can stuff so many things inside your bag."

Koryu wasn't paying any attention to them, as he transformed the pendant hanging from his necklace into the Moon Staff.

"Key which hides the power of the planets, show your true form before me. I, the Harbinger, command you under our contract. Release." It materialized into his Moon Staff, and the Cardmaster pulled out one card.

"Trap them within the confines of your walls. LABYRINTH."

They sensed the presence too late. In the width of a few seconds they found themselves surrounded by bright orange walls. Sakura was familiar with this, having been trapped here before.

"It's like the MAZE Card!"

Nakuru, instead of looking worried, seemed a little relieved. "At least Tsukito-kun is okay. If he hadn't left he would've been trapped too."

"Nakuru," Eriol began, "Kajihana Tsukito is…"

He never got to finish his sentence as he was nearly sliced in two by a sword. Suppie, who had dragged himself out of Nakuru's bag, had pulled Eriol back in time. Kero floated down; he too had been caught in the maze.

"Why are there two Chinese kids?!"

Sakura was confused. On her left there was Syaoran with his sword drawn, glaring at the Syaoran on her right, who was simply smiling back at him. Everyone else was confused as well. Eriol looked at the Syaoran on Sakura's right. "He is the imposter. It might be our enemy's ILLUSION Card, but…" He glanced down at the small cut that was on his school uniform, where the sword had not quite missed. "ILLUSION cannot harm people in quite this fashion."

The imposter attacked; Syaoran leapt at him, and their swords clashed.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"Are you sure it was a good idea to send BRAWL in there? Especially armed with BLADE, MIRAGE, SPEAK, and STRENGTH; when Arya created her, BRAWL wasn't exactly known for her benevolence or her sense of fair play."

"I am quite sure. In any case, BRAWL seemed quite excited at the thought of fighting Li Syaoran again."

Solarus barked a harsh laugh. "Well, BRAWL always did love to fight challenging opponents. She hated weaklings."

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"Go! I'll keep him busy here!"

"But... Syaoran!" Sakura was on the verge of activating her own SWORD Card; the imposter Syaoran (A/N: After this, I'm calling BRAWL "Shaoran" whenever she's disguised as Syaoran) dropped down with a sweep kick. Syaoran fell hard on his back, and barely blocked an attack before he was divided in two.

Shaoran smiled cruelly. "Go on, run. I'll be done here soon enough." Syaoran pushed Shaoran off him, and pulled out an ofuda.

"Go now!"

The Guardians all went into their true forms, and led the way. Sakura unhappily followed, shouting back, "Syaoran! Stay safe!"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine! Raitei Shourai!" Lightning flew at Shaoran, who ducked around the corner behind him. Syaoran grinned. "Unlike me, he can't use spells!"

Shaoran peeked out and blew a raspberry before charging. Swords met, Syaoran versus Shaoran, each one attempting to overpower the other.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

There was more danger in the maze than expected. They had to fight various monsters of different levels of difficulty as they passed through. Eriol had an idea as to what these monsters were.

"These are probably the work of the CREATE Card owned by our foe."

Tomoyo thoughtfully watched the Guardians fighting what resembled a T-Rex with wings and horns as she recorded them. "I believe you're right, Eriol-kun. That would make a lot of sense."

Sakura was worried. "But we still have to find a way out of here. And I hope Syaoran is alright…"

The monster defeated, Ruby Moon turned back to looked at the Cardmistress. "Li-kun said he'd be fine! I'm sure he's right behind us!"

She was right. Sakura was overjoyed. "Syaoran!"

But not all was as it seemed. He leapt at her, and held the Mistress of the Cards with his sword at her throat. In that moment, everyone realized that this wasn't Syaoran; it was the fake. Coming from the direction Shaoran came was the real Syaoran, who became angry at seeing how Shaoran threatened the girl he loved. "Sakura!"

"Nobody moves," Shaoran said, grinning at them mockingly, "or else." The sword pressed a little harder against Sakura's neck, and tears formed in her eyes.

"Syaoran…"

**Author's Notes: I really don't like BRAWL much anymore. She really ISN'T a fair fighter. If there were rules in a fight, she'd probably break every single one of them! Anyways, I hope they make it out okay, especially Sakura-chan! Does Koryu-kun know what BRAWL is up to within LABYRINTH? Doubt it. -yawns- Stay tuned!**


	16. Subtraction and Division

Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura ain't mine, dude. It belongs to CLAMP. Don't sue me!

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Cycle 15: Subtraction and Division

"What did you say?" Koryu looked at his double in a stunned fury. His double just so happened to be REFLECTION mimicking his features. "BRAWL is doing what?!"

"BRAWL is using the Mistress of the Sakura Cards as a shield to protect herself from Li Syaoran," REFLECTION said again patiently. "And it seems she is taking unnecessary risks to win."

Aiko listened worriedly. She knew Koryu wanted the Cardmistress alive, and if BRAWL killed her, then he would not be able to absorb Sakura's power. She spoke up, to make a suggestion, "Koryu, you have to make BRAWL withdraw and back out. By force if necessary and the other cards can restrain her if she dare try to disobey."

Koryu nodded, and then turned back to REFLECTION. "Take on your true form and go back. I will need your assistance to restrain BRAWL. Knowing her, she will not be restrained easily, especially as I am not inside LABYRINTH."

REFLECTION nodded, and transformed. Ditching Koryu's features, the card's true form was revealed to be a boy in a long flowing white kimono, with long green hair tied back into a thin braid. He held a mirror in his hands, and a white patterned headband. REFLECTION departed, going back into the maze.

Aiko began going through the memories of Arya that she kept separate from her own. Arya had made REFLECTION to be the most human of her Wraith Cards (which are now the Harbinger Cards), but other cards like BRAWL also acted quite human. Except that REFLECTION knew of love and hate, gratefulness and guilt, fear and anger, joy and sorrow; he had more emotions open to him than all the other cards combined. Indeed, Arya had several times after releasing him found REFLECTION doing things she had not told him to do; though BRAWL was also doing something Koryu had not told her to do, she was still obeying his general orders: to fight Li Syaoran. And apparently… REFLECTION had fallen for a girl, not that Arya learned her identity.

Aiko began playing with her daggers, thinking. What was REFLECTION feeling? Her sapphire eyes glanced over at where he had disappeared. Koryu didn't know that REFLECTION could and probably would act on his own without orders. _But that card has a good heart. Is his counterpart, Clow's… no, Sakura's MIRROR the same? Or is it different?_

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Syaoran was surprised when another showed up, next to Shaoran. Shaoran, meanwhile, looked angry.

"What are you doing here, REFLECTION?" he growled; now the group could put a face to the boy's name. Obviously the boy was like MIRROR, to judge by the object in his hands.

"Master knows that you have gone too far, BRAWL," REFLECTION said softly, but just loud enough for all to hear. "You are to return to him in your card form."

A violet orb of light floated out of Shaoran's throat and zoomed away. Shaoran wavered, and MIRAGE departed as well. Cerberus grinned when he saw BRAWL's true form.

"Now we know who you are. You are like FIGHT, are you not?"

BRAWL glared, but without SPEAK she didn't have a voice. BLADE wrenched itself from her grasp and fled, but BRAWL merely switched her grip to a choke hold on Sakura. STRENGTH also separated herself from her fellow card; the little girl gave a nod of acknowledgment to REFLECTION before running off. Now BRAWL was alone; she glared at REFLECTION, who simply stared back calmly. He gestured for her to release the young Cardmistress. Grudgingly the card did, and Sakura ran back to her friends. No one had anticipated what BRAWL did next.

She balled a hand into a fist and knocked REFLECTION to the ground with a fierce right hook. BRAWL cracked her knuckles, looking down triumphantly at the dazed boy, and turned her attention upon Sakura. She was not stupid; she knew the Cardmistress was Syaoran's greatest weakness.

Syaoran wasn't dumb either; he knew BRAWL would go after her again. "Sakura, use MIRROR!"

The Mistress of the Cards nodded, gripping her Star Wand tightly. "Take on the guise of your mistress! MIRROR!"

Another Sakura appeared, and then BRAWL looked confused. But the deception was broken when MIRROR-Sakura's eyes fell on REFLECTION, who was sitting up with a groan. "R-REFLECTION?!" She was obivously shocked to see the boy, and hearing her voice the card's name made Tomoyo wonder how MIRROR knew who REFLECTION was. She hadn't been released when BRAWL said the boy's name.

But still, MIRROR's reaction gave them away. But just a BRAWL was about to make her attack, Cerberus breathed flames. She back flipped, and gracefully fell into a fighting stance. Then Yue attacked, his hand glowing blue, but she dodged that as well. Each attack maneuvered her away from not only Sakura and the others, but REFLECTION as well.

MIRROR-Sakura ran over to and knelt by REFLECTION as soon as BRAWL was a good distance away, still distracted by Sakura's Guardians. REFLECTION gave her a confused look.

"Mistress of the Sakura Cards?"

"No, it is I, MIRROR." She looked at Sakura with a look that plainly asked for permission to return to her true form. After receiving a nod, MIRROR dropped her guise. REFLECTION now looked officially shocked, and he looked away with an ashamed look on his face.

"MIRROR… I thought you never wanted to see me again."

"Times change, REFLECTION, as do hearts."

BRAWL got past the two Guardians and went straight past the two cards, going for Sakura. Syaoran placed himself between the incoming Harbinger Card and her, and shouted, "Raitei Shourai!"

BRAWL dodged the lightning that burst from the paper seal on the sword, and charged again. Expertly she knocked Syaoran's sword out from his grip, and they began to fight hand-to-hand.

Eriol and his Guardians stepped forward to assist him when the LABYRINTH Card shifted. Walls moved, rising and falling. A wall separated the dueling BRAWL and Syaoran from nearly everyone else (Sakura watching them and fearing for her love), REFLECTION and MIRROR now alone together. Yue and Cerberus were left with trying to find a way back to the group, while Tomoyo, Eriol, Ruby Moon, and Spinel Sun were left in shock at what had happened (A/N: Yes, the ever-so-calm reincarnation of Clow Reed was _shocked_).

Now they were divided.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Koryu looked at where the invisible entrance to LABYRINTH was, frowning. "Where is REFLECTION? He should have been back by now, and BRAWL is not here either."

"I fear he has failed," Solarus growled; unlike the Moon Guardian, the wolf was now in his true form. Tsukito seemed worried for some reason, but the Sun Guardian didn't particularly wish to know why. Solarus was more interested in nosing around through Aiko's bag, checking out the candy inside. He hoped to find the sour kind; he loved sour candy. Anything that tasted sweet made him extremely sleepy.

"I agree," Aiko said. She combined all her daggers into a rapier with a Spanish bell guard and began slicing through the air. Her every movement was like a dance step, and oddly mesmerizing. Koryu watched, interested, but when they made eye contact his cheeks tinged slightly pink and he looked away. The reincarnation of Arya never noticed this.

"It would jeopardize our purpose here if I went in now."

"It is either that or let the Cardmistress get killed," Tsukito finally said. His expression changed from worry to expressionless in record time, and he kept quiet about how he was more worried about a certain Moon Guardian (A/N: Obviously NOT Yue) than Sakura.

Aiko glanced at Koryu to see his reaction to the Moon Guardian's words. The Master of the Harbinger Cards was silent for a long time before speaking.

"Cardmistress Kinomoto Sakura-san can handle herself. If not, then she is far weaker than I have judged her to be."

**Author's Notes: Uh-oh, even more trouble! Will everyone ever be reunited? Will Syaoran beat BRAWL senseless? How do REFLECTION and MIRROR know each other?! Do they know something everyone else doesn't?! And will my cookies ever finish baking?! -cough cough- Ignore that last one. And I would like to thank Twilight Kisses, AngelEmCuti, airaamay, lost feather, Queen of Cliffies, Dark-Valar, and dracula-key for reading and reviewing! And as for all you other schmucks who are reading and not reviewing... I thank you all anyways! XD -breaks brick with head- Stay tuned!**


	17. A Fighting Chance

Disclaimer: -glare- Again?! CCS is not mine, nor will it ever be! Otherwise, why am I writing a FANFICTION?!

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Cycle 16: A Fighting Chance

BRAWL's foot thrust home, striking Syaoran's midriff and knocking him down. Sakura stepped forward, FIGHT in hand, and Syaoran waved for her to stop.

"Sakura, no! Stay out of this!"

"Demo, Syaoran…"

"I don't want you getting hurt." He shakily got up, and then fell into his fighting stance before rushing at BRAWL. She swept his roundhouse kick to one side and dropped him with a sweep kick. It now seemed the card was merely toying with him before finishing him off.

"Syaoran, I can't just sit back and watch someone I love get hurt! FIGHT!" With the FIGHT Card's aid, the Cardmistress was nearly equal with BRAWL. When the card sent a straightforward punch at her, Sakura side-stepped it, and spun around so they were back to back. She elbowed BRAWL hard in the back and turned to strike the back of BRAWL's head.

The card staggered forward, obviously shocked. But she shook it off, and faced Sakura again. The Mistress of the Cards blocked BRAWL's kick by raising her knee high, then kicking out her foot. The card swept her leg to the side, effectively diverting the kick, and leaped high. Mid-air BRAWL began to lash out with kicks, and when she landed she continued her relentless barrage, not only kicking. Sakura was hard-pressed to block them all.

Syaoran rushed to help Sakura. He knew that even though FIGHT gave her caster great fighting skills, the user's endurance remained the same. And Sakura seemed to be tiring quickly. She was beginning to make mistakes, and a single punch to her abdomen knocked the Cardmistress back.

Syaoran spotted his sword lying on the ground a short distance away. If he could get to it, this fight would be over in no time. Unfortunately, BRAWL seemed to notice what he was looking at and grinned. She got to it before he did and lashed out. Syaoran was nearly impaled on his own sword, but that didn't stop him. Sakura joined him, and they both fell into their respective fighting stances. BRAWL held on to the sword, though she probably did not know how to handle it well. The only reason she was so good with a sword before was because BLADE was helping. Now she had no such help.

"You okay, Sakura?"

"Daijoubu desu, Syaoran."

She activated SWORD, and leapt at BRAWL. BRAWL clumsily blocked Sakura's downward slash, but that left her open for Syaoran's sweep kick. The card was knocked over, and Syaoran was able to take back his sword.

"Now! Kashin Shourai!"

BRAWL rolled out of the way of the flames, getting back to her feet. But now with her hands free, she could fight much better. Sakura and Syaoran waited for her next move. BRAWL eyed them, estimating her chances of success. Unfortunately, with both her opponents wielding swords and knowing how to use them (for Sakura it is because of SWORD's effect) her chances were very slim. There was only one thing to do.

To their surprise, BRAWL fled. Syaoran wanted to follow her and finish what was started, but Sakura held him back. He gave her a questioning look, to which she only replied, "The fight is done now, and we can relax."

Sakura deactivated her cards, and Syaoran reached over and held her hand firmly but gently. "You sure you're alright?"

"Syaoran, I'm okay."

"But BRAWL hit you pretty hard; you're probably going to have bruises."

"Mou, Syaoran!" Sakura was grateful for his concern, but she was worried for him too. "Demo, she hit you as well!"

"I was trained for hand to hand combat," Syaoran answered simply, "so it's not too bad. I know how to handle the pain. Come on, we have to find the others."

They only walked for ten minutes, but it felt like ten hours. At least they were together though, and as they walked they called out for their friends. No one answered. It was after awhile that Sakura remembered something.

"Syaoran!"

"What is it?"

"Remember when REFLECTION came, to stop BRAWL, and then she hit him and I activated MIRROR?"

"Yeah." It still burned fresh in his mind. "What about it?"

"MIRROR knew who REFLECTION was, but she hadn't been released when BRAWL said his name!" Sakura was going into deep thought, deep, deep thought. "How could they already know each other?"

"Well, from what that plush toy said Arya made the enemy cards right? So maybe she and Clow Reed…"

"Iie, Kero-chan already said that he was sure Arya and Clow-san had never met before. And Eriol-kun also said that Clow-san's memories show no sign that he had ever met her."

"Well, then it seems MIRROR has some questions to answer."

"Hoe?"

Syaoran sighed. Though he loved Sakura, she could be a little dense at times. "Think about it. Apparently she is hiding something, and I doubt REFLECTION will answer our questions since he is our enemy's card."

"Demo, I don't want to force her to reveal things she doesn't want to!"

They fell into a thoughtful silence, only broken by the sounds of fire crackling. A lump of burning _something_ came into view, and who should be there but…

"Kero-chan! Yue-san!" Sakura cried happily, delighted at seeing her Guardians. Cerberus grinned.

"Hey, we found you! See, Yue, I told you we would."

"Are you alright?" Yue directed the question at both Syaoran and Sakura, ignoring Cerberus's remark. They both nodded.

"We're fine, Yue-san."

"Where's BRAWL?" Cerberus looked about for the card, eyes narrowed. "I would just love to fight her."

"We don't know," Syaoran admitted. "She fled somewhere into this maze." BRAWL had been a tough opponent, and he had the bruises to prove it. So did Sakura, though he might have more than she did.

The four of them continued on, searching for the others. Sakura tried to remember who was with whom. Last she saw, Eriol, Tomoyo, Ruby Moon, and Spinel Sun had all been trapped together, and REFLECTION and MIRROR were also probably together somewhere in this maze as well. Sakura tried to find MIRROR's presence, but failed. The maze around them exuded a strong presence that made it impossible for her to sense someone else's within it.

It took awhile before they heard voices. It sounded like MIRROR and REFLECTION.

"—forgiven, right?"

"REFLECTION, I have already told you to not worry about it."

They heard a laugh. "I'll accept that answer."

Then the two identical cards came into view, and they didn't notice the four until Sakura shouted, "MIRROR!"

The girl turned, and smiled. "Mistress, it is good to see you again." No one saw REFLECTION's expression except Cerberus, who became curious. REFLECTION looked like he was annoyed that they had come, but it quickly disappeared.

"It is good to see you," he said; Syaoran and Yue eyed him suspiciously.

"He is not bad," MIRROR assured them. "REFLECTION would never do something to harm us."

"The exit is that way," REFLECTION pointed. "Straight ahead."

"Let's wait for the others first," Sakura said. "I don't want to leave without them!"

**Author's Notes: The next chapter will be about what Eriol, Tomoyo, Ruby Moon, and Spinel Sun were doing at the beginning of this chapter. After that will be what REFLECTION and MIRROR were doing at the same time. Yes, these three will all take place at the same time. Wow, this test is much longer than the others were. -hysterical laughter- Stay tuned!**


	18. Fragile Glass

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN CCS. WHY MUST I KEEP SAYING THIS OVER AND OVER?!

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Cycle 17: Fragile Glass

"What is happening?" MIRROR looked in surprise at the walls rising, falling, and rearranging around her and REFLECTION, cutting them off from the others. REFLECTION seemed confused, eyeing the walls surrounding them. Then it struck him.

"So that is how it is."

"What is it?"

"LABYRINTH is different from MAZE in the fact that it gets bored every so often and will rearrange itself to make whoever is inside have to find another way out." REFLECTION sighed, and MIRROR noticed how he would look anywhere except directly at her. "But don't worry, I can find the exit." He shifted his mirror a little, his eyes avoiding hers. "Come on, let's go."

As he started walking, MIRROR fell into step, matching her pace with his. The way she stared at him made REFLECTION a little uncomfortable; he felt like she could see through to his very soul. Finally, MIRROR spoke in a soft voice.

"Why did you believe I never wanted to see you again, REFLECTION?"

He knew he could not simply ignore her; he was too polite for that. But he still felt a little nervous and uncomfortable around MIRROR, ever since the last day they saw each other. "You yourself had told me, MIRROR. You personally told me that."

In her heart, MIRROR felt ashamed. She had carried that guilt for so long, and now the one she wished to apologize to still thought she was still angry with him. "REFLECTION… I was upset at the time. My beloved master Clow Reed was dying and I had thought it was because he had agreed to meet with your mistress."

REFLECITON was silent for a long time before he spoke. "Arya-sama had a kind and gentle heart, but her reputation had been marred by the fact that misfortune followed her wherever she went. She herself had initially wished to refuse meeting with Clow-sama, as she felt that he would suffer from meeting with her as many others have."

"But he had told me he was already dying before he met her," MIRROR said. REFLECTION looked at her in surprised.

"He was?"

She nodded sadly. "He had told me afterward in secret, before he used ERASE on himself and Arya to keep their meeting secret from their reincarnations. Somehow, Master had known about everything I had said to you."

He looked up at the blank space above them, still not meeting her gaze. "Of all the other cards, we two are the most human of them. We know of love, can feel all the emotions that true humans enjoy."

MIRROR gave him a look of worried concern. "REFLECTION…"

"But we cannot enjoy the same freedoms they do." His eyes glazed over as he continued speaking. "We are not human; we can only look like them. Humans are, indeed, luckier than they can imagine."

She had heard him speak like this before. On a night so many years ago under the light of a full moon, he had expressed his greatest desire that could never be granted. And he had also revealed his reason why. "After so long, you have not changed very much, REFLECTION."

"And I see you have changed," REFLECTION noted. "You never had those ribbons before, the last time we saw each other."

Her pale cheeks were tinged pink as she softly replied, "They were a gift from my current Mistress's older brother, as both an early Christmas gift and as a gift of thanks for protecting his sister during times when he cannot."

"I see." The silence grew, and MIRROR wished REFLECTION would tear down the barrier that now stood between them. Finally, she broke the silence.

"REFLECTION, who is your new master?"

He smiled ruefully and shook his head. "I am not at liberty to reveal that to you."

"Then why is he attacking my mistress?"

His answer came after a moment of silence. "The reincarnation of my former mistress foresaw a great disaster in her dreams. It will affect the entire world, and even destroy everything if it is not stopped. He is gathering power so that he may face it and survive."

"That does not answer my question."

REFLECTION seemed hesitant, but he gave in. He did not want to lie to her. "Master created a card that would allow him to steal the magical power of others and make it his own. It is the DRAIN Card, and when he uses her effect the victim… doesn't survive the total and complete loss of energy."

MIRROR was shocked. "So if he takes the power of my Mistress…"

"She will die," REFLECTION finished, but now he looked sorrowful. Finally, his eyes locked with hers, and MIRROR, upon looking into his eyes, realized his feelings haven't changed either over the years. "And if she does, the Clo—no, the Sakura Cards will not be able to survive either."

Tears formed in the card's eyes, and the boy looked away. He felt guilty and ashamed even though it was not his fault. "I do not want that, but I cannot do anything to stop him. I don't… I…"

"REFLECTION," MIRROR said softly, "you can try."

"Master will not listen to me, though I wish I could stop him. MIRROR… I had tried to forget you after that day, but I could not. I do not want you to fade, because… because I…"

MIRROR knew what he was going to say, knew what he had tried to hide deep in his heart. "You still love me."

A short, simple statement, yet one that held the strength of the truth. REFLECTION allowed his tears to flow, not caring to hold it back. "I do, I still do! But even if I try to stop him, Master will continue with his plan. He would be even more displeased at learning that I had told you of his plans."

He semed to be struggling with himself. "I had tried to forget you, so that I may not feel the guilt that I knew would come if he succeeded in using DRAIN on the Cardmistress! I had tried to remove you from my heart, MIRROR, but upon seeing you once more I realized I had failed. I still yearn for the love we once shared so long ago, the love that ended when you took out your anger at me when you were so upset that your master Clow Reed was dying! Those words that still burn fresh in my memory, the words that failed to make me stop loving you!"

"REFLECTION, I want you to forget about what I had told you those many years ago. Please, forgive me for saying those cruel things that I did," MIRROR pleaded; REFLECTION reached over, gently wiping away the tears that rolled down her pale cheeks.

"I should be—"

"No, none of it was your fault. Please accept my apology!"

He was silent as he gently took hold of her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. "I do, MIRROR. With all of my heart."

They were silent for a long time before he spoke again. "MIRROR... all is forgiven, right?"

MIRROR smiled; her tears had long since dried by then. "REFLECTION, I have already told you to not worry about it."

"I'll accept that answer," REFLECTION laughed. They passed by a break in the walls, and heard a shout.

"MIRROR!"

The girl turned to see the young Cardmistress, Syaoran, Cerberus, and Yue approaching them, and her smile grew a little bigger. "Mistress, it is good to see you again." Without the four noticing, MIRROR let go of REFLECTION's hand to get a better grip on her mirror, which was starting to slip.

An annoyed expression crossed the REFLECTION Card's face for a split second; only Cerberus saw it, and the Sun Guardian grew a little curious as to why. The Harbinger Card replaced his annoyed expression with a smile. "It is good to see you."

Syaoran and Yue eyed him suspiciously; MIRROR noticed this. "He is not bad," she assured them. "REFLECTION would never do something to harm us."

To give proof of that, REFLECTION gave a helpful hint. "The exit is that way," he pointed. "Straight ahead."

"Let's wait for the others first," Sakura said. "I don't want to leave without them!"

"You had four others with you, correct?" REFLECTION asked; the Cardmistress nodded. "Then we will wait. I hope they aren't lost."

It took a few seconds for him to realize exactly what he had said, and the Harbinger Card groaned. Syaoran sighed, and Cerberus just laughed outright. Sakura, however, took his words seriously.

"I hope so, too."

**Author's Notes: Yeah, I know I said this chapter would be about Eriol, Tomoyo, Ruby Moon, and Spinel Sun. So I changed my mind at the last minute, I'm sorry! And you want to know more about REFLECTION and MIRROR huh? Maybe later, if Sakura-chan and the gang can leap the final hurdle. -knits shrouds- Stay tuned!**


	19. Together is Better

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own CCS. If I did, then I'd have no need to write a fanfic would I?

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Cycle 18: Together is Better

Around them, walls were moving. Falling, rising, extending, shortening, it was not too long before everything settled down. But Tomoyo knew that this was a new predicament, as they had been separated from the others. She, Eriol, Ruby Moon, and Spinel Sun would have to find another way to the exit, as well as regrouping with the others.

"We know we won't be able to break through the walls, so all we can do is move forward." The Daidouji heiress looked over at Eriol, who was looking at the forked path ahead of them while speaking. "The only question is, which path will we choose?"

"Whichever path we choose, there is still the possibility of getting lost," Spinel Sun commented; Ruby Moon gave him a quizzical stare.

"More lost than we already are?"

Tomoyo giggled, and put away her video camera for the moment. "Ruby Moon-chan is right. I also believe that we are lost." She looked over at the navy-haired reincarnation of Clow Reed. "Can you find the way, Eriol-kun?"

He shook his head. "Iie, unfortunately. The presence of this maze is too great for me for even try to get an idea of where Sakura-san and the others are. It seems we will have to do this the old fashioned way."

"I hope we don't get lost," Ruby Moon commented; it took a few seconds before she realized what she had said and laughed. Everyone else (except Eriol) sweatdropped anime-style and they started their long progression through LABYRINTH.

Their way was filled with dead-ends, loops, and generally getting steadily more and more lost than before. And along with that was Tomoyo getting steadily more and more worried than before. Finally, she asked, "Are we near the exit at all?"

Eriol looked at her, trying to figure out what to say. The last thing he wanted to do was make her even more worried than she was now, but he didn't how to tell her that he was unsure of how close they were to the exit. But Ruby Moon, as lacking in tact as always, answered Tomoyo's question with a shrug. "Not sure. We could be extremely far away from it for all we know."

Although he usually wouldn't, the young reincarnation of Clow Reed glared at his Moon Guardian. Now Tomoyo looked like she could be on the verge of tears, she was that worried (mostly for her friends than for herself). He cut off his glare to place a comforting hand on Tomoyo's shoulder. The Daidouji heiress found herself gazing at Eriol, who had a gentle smile on his face.

"We will find a way out of here soon enough, Tomoyo-san. And it could be worse."

"How could it be worse, Eriol-kun?"

"We could be lost without having each other for company." At his words, Tomoyo looked away to hide her face, which was turning quite red. She didn't notice that Eriol was doing the same, though he was not blushing quite as much as she was. He had come to realize his feelings for her, and he was unsurprised. Though he was still saddened by the death of Mizuki Kaho, the navy-haired boy knew the best thing he could do was move on. That's what she would have wanted him to do, instead of lingering in the past.

Ruby Moon leaned down and whispered to Spinel Sun, "I think we should give Tomoyo-chan and Master a bit of privacy. Don't you agree?" The Sun Guardian nodded, and the two stepped back a little, letting Eriol and Tomoyo lead the way. Not that either of them realized it.

"T-That would be worse," Tomoyo replied softly, fighting down her blush. "I am glad to be here with you, Eriol-kun, than alone," she admitted.

"And I feel that same towards you, Tomoyo-san." There was barely half an inch of space between them now as they walked side by side. "And please try to smile. It Is better when you smile and are happy, then when you are sad."

The young heiress was silent for a long moment before she spoke. And when she looked at him, Tomoyo was smiling a genuinely happy smile. "You truly are a kind and caring person, Eriol-kun."

The young mage removed his hand from her shoulder, letting it fall to his side. His pinky finger lightly brushed against Tomoyo's hand, and the slightest bit of pink tinged her cheeks. Eriol smiled at Tomoyo, a smile as genuine as her own replacing his usual Cheshire Cat grin. "I am glad you think so, Tomoyo-san."

In silence they took each other's hand in their own, though their fingers did not intertwine. Ruby Moon resisted the urge to squeal "Kawaii!" while Spinel Sun simply smiled. The Guardians were aware that the feelings Tomoyo and Eriol held for each other were mutual, even if the two in question did not realize it yet themselves. But with time, they would, sooner hopefully than later.

Tomoyo was not quite as upset anymore, and she knew that Sakura and the others could take care of themselves. After all, they had strong magical powers. And Eriol had been quite right about it being better to be lost with him, than to be alone. In silence, almost unconsciously she held Eriol's hand in her own, and he held hers. She felt at peace.

They walked like that for a long time, silently enjoying each others company. The two seemed to have forgotten that Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun were there, not that the Guardians minded that too much. And they were making better progress than before. No more dead-ends, only one loop, just going on with the occasional fork in the path.

Soon, Eriol felt it. The presence was slight, but he could feel it. That could only mean one thing. "Tomoyo-san, Sakura-san and my darling relative are nearby. I can feel their presences, if only a little, but the feeling is getting stronger."

Tomoyo flashed him her most radiant smile. "Lead the way, please, Eriol-kun."

They moved on, continuing forward as he felt their presences getting stronger, turning around and taking a different path when he felt it getting fainter. Finally, they caught sight of their friends and of REFLECTION.

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo shouted, letting go of Eriol's hand. The young Cardmistress turned at the sound of her best friend's voice, and broke into a huge smile.

"Tomoyo-chan!"

Sakura, Syaoran, Cerberus, Yue, and MIRROR greeted Eriol, Tomoyo, Ruby Moon, and Spinel Sun with relief, while REFLECTION stood back a little. He was not one of their friends, even though he was an old friend of the MIRROR Card's.

"Eriol-kun, REFLECTION knows the way out of here," Sakura informed the mage, who turned to look at the Harbinger Card. REFLECTION knew that Eriol was the reincarnation of Clow Reed, and he fidgeted uncomfortably under his stare.

"He does, does he?"

"Yes," MIRROR answered, a bit to Eriol's surprise. "REFLECTION is not one for deceiving others while in his true form."

"And while we were waiting, Cerberus had Sakura use LIBRA to see if he was telling the truth about where to go," Syaoran said, "and it turned out he wasn't lying after all."

"Okay then," Tomoyo said. "Lead the way, please."

REFLECTION nodded, and the group followed. The Harbinger Card didn't tell them this, but he knew that Koryu was expecting that it would take an extremely long time for them to escape from LABYRINTH. Certainly more time than the amount that had already passed, so REFLECTION knew that when they exited they would meet his master face to face. And the thought worried him a little.

"Here is the exit," REFLECTION told them. "It was good to see you once more, MIRROR."

The Sakura Card nodded, and as he left MIRROR said, "Mistress, there is something I must tell you later."

Sakura was a little surprised, but nodded. MIRROR returned to her card form, and Sakura placed her with the other cards. Meanwhile, Syaoran sighed with relief. "Finally, we can leave this maze."

The group stepped out, breathing in the fresh air happily. But it was debatable whether the shock they felt at seeing who was in front of them was greater than that of the ones who saw them appear.

The Master of the Harbinger Cards was the first to break the shocked silence. "You escaped faster than expected. I am guessing REFLECTION had something to do with this."

"So you were the one controlling the enemy cards!" Syaoran exclaimed, holding his sword in a battle-ready stance. Sakura was still in shock, and Eriol gently pushed Tomoyo away.

"Tomoyo-san, you have to hide. I have the feeling we will be in a fight, and I want you to be safe."

She only nodded, and quickly hid in the bushes. Once there, however, she brought out her video camera and began filming the events unfolding in front of her.

Ruby Moon was staring at Tsukito with disbelief written all over her face. "Tsukito-kun… you aren't… no… you can't be…"

Forcing a cruel smirk onto his face, the young man replied, "I am indeed." A cocoon of silver flames enveloped him, and after a few seconds black dragon wings tore open the chrysalis of fire that transformed him into his true form. Lunarus ran a hand through his unruly blonde hair, his hazel eyes looking back at Yue and Ruby Moon.

Cerberus and Spinel Sun both growled at Solarus, and the wolf was smirking back at them. Aiko meanwhile had her eight daggers out, and let them float around her. Sakura was shocked to see her as well.

"Aiko-chan, you too?"

Eriol eyed the girl and came to a realization. "You are the reincarnation of Arya Hitoraumi, a sorceress nearly as powerful as Clow Reed, aren't you?"

She nodded, and Koryu took out one of his cards. "BLADE!"

The Moon Staff transformed into a deadly sword that resembled Sakura's SWORD except for the dragon wings that decorated the hilt.

"I was surprised to see you, but that does not matter now. It seems that now Penguin Park will be where our final battle takes place, where the Master of the Harbinger Cards shall fight you, Sakura, Mistress of the Sakura Cards."

**Author's Notes: THe final battle has begun in a surprising fashion! Will Sakura-chan make it through? Will Ruby Moon/Nakuru admit her feelings to Lunarus/Tsukito? Can Cerberus and Spinel Sun defeat Solarus? Will the fire department not need to arrive while I'm baking my cookies? I seriously doubt the last one. -ignores smokey smell- Stay tuned for what could be our heroine's absolutely FINAL fight!!**


	20. Hesitations

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS

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Cycle 19: Hesitations

The six Guardians took to the skies, Yue and Ruby Moon versus Lunarus, with Cerberus and Spinel Sun versus Solarus. This left an opening for Aiko to rush forward, two of her daggers in hand. Syaoran barely blocked her attack in time, and then there were the other five daggers hovering in the air and thrusting at him. Koryu stepped towards Sakura menacingly; the young girl shook her head.

"Why do you want to fight?"

"I see no need to tell you now," Koryu replied, smirking, "as you will know soon enough, Cardmistress. Now, en garde!"

"SWORD!" The Star Key transformed into a beautiful sword that Sakura used to barely defend herself in time. Koryu jumped back, smiling cruelly.

"Much better, Cardmistress! Now I see I made the right choice in targeting you!"

"What does he mean by that?" Syaoran growled at Aiko; she simply replied with a blast of lightning from one of the daggers hovering near her. He let out a shout of surprise and fell back. Luckily Eriol conjured up a crimson barrier of magical energy, blocking the attack.

"Much as I hate to say it, thanks Hiiragizawa."

"It was no problem, my kawaii descendant. If I had let something like that happen, Sakura-san would chew my head off." From his Sun Staff a bolt of red magical energy flew at the Blademistress, who raised a wall of stone to block it using one of the two daggers in her hands.

From her other dagger burst a stream of flames, Syaoran countering Aiko's attack with his water spell. The reincarnation of Arya frowned.

"You are better than expected… or maybe just as skilled as I'd thought. Either way, I will not lose." The young sorceress merged her eight daggers into a katana with a wolf's head at the pommel. "_Okami no Kiba_! Prepare yourself, Li Syaoran!"

Her sword met with his, and sparks flew. Meanwhile, a similar fight was taking place.

"Koryu-kun… doushite?! Why did you want to fight me?"

"I have my reasons," was his only reply. He slashed from left hip to right shoulder but missed, cutting only air. "And I still see no reason to tell you as of yet!"

Up in the sky, a certain Moon Guardian hesitated. Ruby Moon did not wish to fight Lunarus, whose hazel eyes showed contempt for her and Yue.

"Too easy! Don't tell me your Master and Mistress are so weak!"

_That_ ticked off Sakura's Moon Guardian. But his barrage of blue crystal shards was wiped out by Lunarus's silver flames, turned into crumbling bits of dust. Yue glanced at Ruby Moon, annoyed. "Ruby Moon! Snap out of it, I need your help!"

"Demo… h-he's Tsukito-kun…"

"If you hesitate, you lose!" Lunarus charged at Ruby Moon, swerving around a startled Yue. His blow sent Eriol's Moon Guardian crashing into a tree below, but she did not retaliate. Trying to get a reaction out of her, Lunarus struck Ruby Moon again and again.

"Why won't you fight back?" he hissed, this time sending her flying into Yue. "Fight, if you wish to live!"

Yue rushed at Lunarus, determined to end this here and now. They exchanged blows, Yue's hands glowing blue, Lunarus's encased in silver fire. A crescent kick from Koryu's Moon Guardian caught Yue by surprise, knocking the wind out of him. A burst of flames quickly followed Lunarus's attack, forcing Yue back. Sakura's Moon Guardian glared at Ruby Moon, where she hovered hesitatingly.

"Ruby Moon!"

The Sun Guardians were involved in a classic tooth-and-claw fight. But it seemed Solarus was the stronger one of the three. Each time he knocked either Spinel Sun or Cerberus back, then proceeded to concentrate on the remaining one before the other returned. Then there was the added fact he was more agile, able to perform complicated and quick maneuvers in the air with ease.

"I'm getting tired by this," Cerberus growled, and flames poured from his mouth. Solarus also exhaled, his golden flames meeting Cerberus's fire. The two attacks canceled each other out. Spinel Sun fired a beam of energy that Solarus dodged before pouncing. The wolf was able to knock the panther aside easily before striking Cerberus.

Solarus grinned, baring all his sharp teeth. "I never thought that the Sun Guardians of our enemies would be so weak! Can you not do better than this?"

While Tomoyo recorded everything, she also worried for her friends' safety. Then there was one small, seemingly insignificant detail: neither Sakura nor Syaoran was wearing a battle costume that she had designed. The Daidouji heiress hoped that nothing bad would come out of it…

Koryu's foot made contact with Sakura, and she bent over, completely winded before he knocked her down. "What's the matter, Cardmistress, tired already? I expected better of you." He swung BLADE; it made contact with SWORD and sparks flew.

"I-I don't want to fight you, Koryu-kun…"

"Too late for that," the Cardmaster snorted. "Hesitation will only get you killed; no matter who your enemy is, if you hesitate they will surely kill you!" His sword nearly speared Sakura; the young Cardmistress barely dodged it, and it left a small cut on her school uniform.

Again he kicked her; this time she was sent flying back a couple feet before landing hard on the ground. She slowly got up, trying to think of a way to stop Koryu without hurting him. Sakura thought of him as a friend, so it was hard for her to imagine him as an enemy.

Between Eriol and Syaoran, Aiko did not mind fighting them at the same time… too much. It made her uncomfortable to think of what would happen if she really did kill them, of how Sakura and Tomoyo would feel. So she tried to go a little easy on them, but it was hard when one of them, wielding a deadly sword, was really intent on killing her.

Aiko transformed her katana into a pair of twin sickles connected by a chain. "_Tsuino Okami ha Hikisaku_!" She caught the blade of Syaoran's sword in the chain, wrapping it around the sword. Now he couldn't pull it out of her grasp. But her little victory did not last very long, as she had to release his sword to dodge another of Eriol's magical attacks.

"_En Boeno Tanken_!" The twin sickles resumed the form of eight daggers hovering in the air around Aiko as she eyed her opponents. _This will be much more difficult than expected…_

"Fight back!" Lunarus knocked Ruby Moon aside, and slammed a fist into Yue's gut. His words were currently directed at Eriol's Moon Guardian. "Are you not strong?"

Angry, he let loose a burst of silver flames, only to find them blocked by a barrier of red energy. A barrier created by Ruby Moon.

She still did not wish to fight him, but she did not wish to be killed by him either. Though the Moon Guardian now knew he was an enemy and should be treated as one, her heart refused to hate or dislike him. Ruby Moon wondered at how hard she had fallen for Lunarus/Tsukito, to make her feel this way.

Lunarus was bitter and angry that Ruby Moon did not even try to defend herself… at least until now. He did not wish to hurt her, but he had to. _I had known… I knew I would later regret confirming how hard I had fallen for her… and now I was proven right…_ He wanted Ruby Moon to defeat _him_, not the other way around. It probably didn't even matter if she killed him or not, so long as she remained alive. _After all, it is not as if she loves me as I do her, especially after this…_

Golden orbs of fire exploded like fireworks in the sky, Cerberus and Spinel Sun weaving their way around them as best they can. Solarus simply smirked; he just sent out new orbs of fire. The wolf howled a battle cry as he rushed at the two Sun Guardians, ignoring the explosions around him. He only cared about surviving, which translated into defeating his enemies.

Separate battles waged, all recorded by Tomoyo's trusty video camera. She knew it would be a day to remember, but in what way? Would the fighting end with the sweet taste of fresh air sill filling their lungs? Or will it end with bitter defeat, a defeat that could only end in death?

She silently prayed, hoping that everything would turn out alright, that everyone would be safe. The young heiress prayed that Sakura and Syaoran would be able to spend more time together after this battle, not having to worry about being attacked. She prayed that the Guardians would have no need to take on their true forms after this fight. And she prayed that Hiiragizawa Eriol, the navy-haired, sapphire-eyed reincarnation of Clow Reed, would be able to stay with her for a while longer before returning to England. Indeed, she hoped he would stay forever.

But all this depended on one very important factor: the strength and determination to make it a sure fact that everything would be alright.

**Author's Notes: ...**

Aiko's Blademaster Spells Translations:

"_Okami no Kiba_": Wolf Fang (Transforms into katana form)

"_Tsuino Okami ha Hikisaku_": Twin Wolf Claws (Transforms into chained twin sickles form)

"_En Boeno Tanken_": Howling Daggers (Transforms into original eight daggers form)


	21. Accablé

Disclaimer: Don't own CCS. CLAMP does.

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Cycle 20: Accablé

The fighting raged on, on land and in the air. Syaoran's sword clashed with Aiko's blades as she kept changing from one form to another. Eriol assisted him using his magic, making it harder for the reincarnation of Arya to finish off either of them. Sakura with SWORD fought Koryu with BLADE, and they seemed to be mostly even except that the Cardmistress kept hesitating at each moment where she could have finished him and ended the fight. Her hesitations allowed the Cardmaster to knock her away and continue fighting.

In the air, Ruby Moon was on the defensive, not striking back but at least keeping herself from getting more hurt than she already was while Yue was actively on the offensive. Lunarus was getting annoyed that Ruby Moon would not strike back against him but said nothing. The fight between Spinel Sun and Cerberus and Solarus was more intense, with none of them holding back.

Aiko swept Syaoran's legs out from under him, and he fell on his back. The Chinese boy rolled to the side to dodge the eight daggers that flew at him; they had almost got him. The elemental daggers flew back into Aiko's hands, and Syaoran glared at the girl. She was unfazed by his glare and continued attacking, blocking Syaoran's counterattacks and dodging Eriol's offensive strikes.

Sakura was knocked back a good distance as Koryu deactivated BLADE. His sword reassumed the form of the Moon staff and he pulled out another card. "DISCHARGE!"

What appeared reminded Sakura of the SHOT Card, and she readied herself for the incoming attack. But DISCHARGE was not aiming at her; it instead fired at Syaoran. Quickly, the Cardmistress deactivated SWORD and took out another card. "SHIELD!"

A sphere of magical energy surrounded Syaoran, barely blocking the bolt in time. But this little distraction was what Koryu had been looking for as he removed a card from his deck.

"DESPAIR."

Tendrils of black dust reached for Sakura, extending from the dark haze that seemed to surround the Master of the Harbinger Cards. She felt fear growing within her very soul as the tendrils wrapped around her, a tight grip that pinned her arms to her sides. Koryu simply smiled.

"Where there is hope, there is also its opposite." In his free hand he held a card with a picture of a strikingly beautiful woman with a pair bat wings curled around her, a sphere in her hands. The name that was shown on the card read as "THE DRAIN."

"Once DESPAIR has finished its work, your power will become mine with the help of this card."

"SAKURA!" Syaoran tried to break out of SHIELD, but the card refused to give in. It recognized him as being very important to its mistress, so it would protect him for as long as it could.

Eriol was about to attack Aiko when a loud scream distracted him. Tomoyo ran out from her hiding place in the bushes, pursued by Solarus. But the wolf was attacked by Cerberus and Spinel Sun, who saw that move as a cowardly tactic. Their fight started once more.

Ruby Moon had many perfect opportunities to step in and assist Yue in finishing Lunarus off, but she didn't. She kept hesitating, which allowed Lunarus to blast them both away from him and give the Moon Guardian enough time to turn the tables once more. Her brain said he was an enemy, but her heart said she loved him.

Lunarus had many perfect opportunities to kill Ruby Moon, but he didn't. He didn't kill Yue either, and instead focused on keeping their attention on him. He did not wish to destroy Ruby Moon. His brain said she was his enemy, but his heart said that he loved her.

"_Yoru no Naginata_!" A weapon with a wooden shaft and a curved sword-like blade on the end formed in her hands. The kanji character that was showing on it was Darkness, and she used it to create a dark sphere of shadows that enveloped Tomoyo before she herself went into the darkness.

Eriol rushed in after her, wanting to stop her before she could do anything to Tomoyo. But once he entered, he could see nothing. It was pitch black within the sphere, and deathly quiet. The silence was suffocating.

But a light suddenly shone, emanating from a dagger that was held by Aiko, the reincarnation of Arya Hitoraumi. She smirked as she said, "Within the confines of darkness you are alone. No one to assist you, and no one to turn to. Friends, loved ones, even your Guardians cannot help you now."

"What do you want?" Eriol asked calmly. "Where is Tomoyo-san?"

"Right here." The light grew enough to show Tomoyo, bound tight by tendrils of darkness. Her eyes were not open, she was not awake, and Eriol's eyes widened in surprise and fear.

"Tomoyo!" In that instant, Eriol realized that Aiko had known all along what the Daidouji heiress meant to him, how special to had become to him. And he also realized himself the full extent of his feelings for Tomoyo.

"So she _is_ your weakness. Interesting, but it had been quite obvious to me. You certainly _are_ an odd one, reincarnation of Clow Reed. I never would have thought that you'd get over the death of your dear Mizuki Kaho within a matter of days…"

"Let her go," Eriol said, a dangerous glint gleaming in the usually calm mage's eyes. Aiko shook her head and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Let me think… no."

The navy-haired mage released a strong bolt of crimson energy at Aiko, but it was blocked by a wall of light that had materialized. As if scolding a young child, Aiko waved her finger at him from side to side.

"Big mistake. You will have to be punished, Hiiragizawa Eriol. And I know the perfect way to do." One of her daggers flew into her free hand, and she lightly held it against the unconscious Tomoyo's neck. Aiko smiled. "So how do you want it? Slow and painful? Or a quick slash that will spill her blood everywhere?"

Eriol could only stare, helpless, fervently trying to figure out a way to save Tomoyo before Aiko killed her. "No..."

"Yes..."

**Author's Notes: "Accablé" means "Overwhelmed" in French. All I can say right now is that I hope everyone makes it out alive. -prays- Stay tuned...**


	22. Hidden Feelings

Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura, as it is the property of the wonderful women of CLAMP.

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Cycle 21: Hidden Feelings

In truth, Aiko was not planning on killing Tomoyo. She did not have the heart to kill a defenseless victim. But her acting skills were good enough to make Eriol believe that she did intend to kill the girl. Aiko kept that cruel smile on her face, remembering that she had to buy Koryu as much time as possible. He did not need anyone interfering while he was using DESPAIR on the Cardmistress, and soon enough he would need time to use DRAIN as well.

Eriol, meanwhile, was forcing himself to calm down. _I need to clear my mind if I want to save Tomoyo. Fear and anger will only cloud my thoughts. _What neither he nor Aiko noticed was that the Daidouji heiress was beginning to stir.

Tomoyo wondered where she was. The last thing she remembered was darkness falling around her, then a sharp pain before she blacked out. It became clear soon enough. She was tied up by something that was not rope, Aiko was holding a dagger to her throat and Eriol seemed upset. Why he was upset was clear, but the fact that he was upset was what made her curious.

Then she heard Aiko's next words. "Still thinking of a way to save your precious Tomoyo-san, reincarnation of Clow?"

Eriol simply glared at her in reply and Ayra's reincarnation smirked (a fake smirk). "Oh, did I hit a nerve? How could a simple girl with no magical powers at all make you, Hiiragizawa Eriol, reincarnation of the powerful Clow Reed, fall for her so hard?"

Tomoyo stifled a gasp; she did not want to attract Aiko's attention to her. She did not want the brunette sorceress to know she was awake. All of the girl's attention now focused on Eriol, who was silent as he thought out his answer.

"Tomoyo-san is a truly kindhearted person, and insists on helping those who need help. She comforted me, when I had realized the fate of my beloved Kaho. She might not have magical powers, but Tomoyo-san truly has a beautiful soul. Clever as well, yet she does not use her cleverness to achieve her own ends. For me, there are not enough words to describe all the reasons why I have fallen in love with her."

"So that's why." Aiko felt a bit of jealousy, finding herself wishing that, not for the first time, Koryu would see her as herself, not as Arya. This mage, he seemed to look past Daidouji's identity as the daughter of the owner of a rich company to her true self, and he looked straight through to the girl's soul. The brunette glanced at Tomoyo, who still seemed to be unconscious, before looking back at Eriol.

"But that won't stop me." Aiko raised her dagger high, preparing for the final strike. Eriol moved to intervene, but both stopped when a voice spoke up.

"Aiko-chan… if you are the reincarnation of Arya-san, who was a powerful sorceress, why do you help Koryu?"

Aiko was surprised that Tomoyo was awake, and she lowered her dagger. "W-Why would I not help him? He is the one who is the Master of the Harbinger Cards, the cards that were once the Wraith Cards created by Arya. The cards were precious to her, and if left without a master they would fade away and, in essence, die."

Tomoyo shook her head, hoping that what she was guessing was the truth. She gave Eriol a look that said for him to not attack, and he understood. Then she said, "Aiko-chan, you are in love with Koryu-kun aren't you?"

That shocked Aiko so much she took several steps back, and released Tomoyo. The darkness that bound the Daidouji heiress receded, and the raven-haired girl calmly stepped closer to Aiko. "It's true, isn't it? You have fallen for him."

"S-So what if I have?" The brunette sorceress was blushing hard, her face an extreme shade of red. "What does it matter?"

"But he does not know it, does he?" Now Eriol stepped up, side-by-side with Tomoyo, also looking at Aiko. "Do you plan on telling him?"

She looked away, not willing to face them. Her emotions were in such turmoil that she didn't have the will to bring her weapons against them, though she had the perfect opportunity. "I wish to tell him… I truly do, but…"

"Aiko-chan, what does Koryu-kun want with Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked her gently; she wasn't sure yet if Aiko was willing to tell them that. But she felt a need to ask.

"He needs to take her power from her… to be strong enough to stop the calamity that approaches…"

"What do you mean by 'take'? How?" Now Eriol was asking; he felt time was running out, and they needed to get answers fast.

"He will use the DRAIN Card that he created. DRAIN will take all of the Cardmistress's power from her and add it to his own. But it will… doing that will kill Sakura-san in the process…"

Neither Tomoyo nor Eriol knew what to say to that. Then Aiko spoke again. "Tell me, do you think that it is so wrong? He is only doing it to stop that great disaster that I foresaw in a dream! A calamity that will kill everyone! What are the lives of a few people when weighed against the lives of everyone else in the world?"

The navy-haired mage shook his head at her, and frowned. "Hanenendo-san, would it not have been better to simply ask for Sakura-san's help? She is a kind person; she would have agreed to help if you had asked."

"Sakura-chan is strong," Tomoyo added, "and if Sakura-chan wished to help you and Koryu-kun then Li-kun would also have agreed to help."

Aiko looked shocked, and fell to her knees, the Darkness Dagger in her hands, the rest clattering to the ground around her. "We didn't know… I had assumed… both of us had… Koryu thought that it would be better to do it ourselves, and not ask for help from anyone. He thought that the world mattered more than the lives of a few people, including himself…"

"But he is important to you," the Daidouji heiress commented. Aiko nodded.

"Yes, he is. That is why I gave him the idea to use DRAIN to make the magical energy of others his own, so that he would be strong enough to stop the disaster and still remain alive. I was selfish…"

"No, you had good intentions," Eriol corrected her. "But you used the wrong methods."

The brunette looked up at them, tears in her eyes. "What should I do now?"

They could clearly see that Aiko did not have the calm and patience Arya surely had. Aiko was still just a fragile young girl, who bore the entire weight of Arya's powers and memories, the pressure of being the reincarnation of a powerful sorceress. To the girl it was a curse. The tears ran freely down Aiko's cheeks. "I have made so many mistakes… what should I do now?"

"Help us stop Koryu," Clow's reincarnation said. "And show him that he does not need to take Sakura-san's energy, that all he needs to do is ask for her help."

"B-But I do not want to betray him…"

"We will not harm him," Tomoyo reassured her. The young brunette looked back and forth between Eriol and the Daidouji heiress, obviously trying to see if they were lying.

She decided they were not. "Okay then. I will help." She stood, and Eriol smiled.

"But first, please, make this darkness disappear."

Aiko nodded, and summoned all her Elemental Daggers. "_Hikari no ha_!" A double-edged sword appeared in her hands, the kanji character for Light on its hilt. A single slash tore the darkness apart with a bright flash, and once more they were in Penguin Park.

Sakura seemed unconscious, shivering. The DESPAIR Card had shown the Cardmistress her worst fears, making them seem all too real, and it had been too much. But that in turn had released Syaoran when the SHIELD Card returned to its card form. Now he was fighting Koryu, who seemed to be winning.

"Too weak. I am surprised that you are the one the Cardmistress fell for."

"Shut up!" Syaoran brought his sword down, and the Cardmaster swept his attack to the side. Bringing his knee up, Koryu slammed it into Syaoran's abdomen, knocking the wind out of him. The sorcerer knocked the boy away, and Syaoran barely dodged an attack from the Master of the Harbinger Cards.

"Koryu!"

The Cardmaster turned to see Aiko looking at him, with Eriol and Tomoyo rushing over to Sakura's side. His eyes narrowed into a glare. "Aiko, what are you doing? I thought you were going to dispose of them!"

"Koryu, they made me realize that this is all wrong! We don't have to use DRAIN to take Sakura-san's powers; she would have helped us willingly!"

But he wasn't listening. "So you are against me? I thought I knew you… but it seems I was wrong. You are weak."

Those words hurt the girl more than they would have coming from anyone else. She didn't know what to say or do, only feeling pain. Then a weak voice spoke up.

"A-Aiko-chan isn't weak…"

"What?!" Koryu turned to see Sakura sitting up with the help of Eriol and Tomoyo. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself; the Cardmistress still felt the fear that had overcome her while DESPAIR was doing its work.

"She may be shy… but I don't think Aiko-chan is a weak person." Sakura smiled at Aiko, who felt her pain fading away. "I have gotten to know a lot about Aiko-chan during all those times we talked at school. She is not weak!"

In the air, Lunarus had managed to grab Ruby Moon's neck with one hand, a barrier keeping Yue from interfering. She struggled to breathe, and Koryu's Moon Guardian felt furious. "Why do you not fight back?! Why?"

A flash of red light startled Lunarus enough for him to release Ruby Moon. She flew back a distance, catching her breath. Then she spoke. "Tsukito-kun… I-I don't want to harm you…"

"Why not?!"

"I…" Ruby Moon hesitated. Outside the barrier, Yue also wondered what her reasons were. But he did have a sneaking suspicion. "Tsukito-kun…"

Lunarus glared as he charged at her, hands blazing with silver fire. "Tell me!"

They were face to face as she gripped his wrists, trying to keep his hands from burning her. His face was so close to hers, Ruby Moon could see _something_ shining in his eyes, but could not recognize it. "Tsukito-kun…"

"That is the name of my disguise! My name is Lunarus. Now tell me why you do not fight back!"

As he pressed harder, his burning hands inching closer, Ruby Moon made up her mind. "Tsuki—no, Lunarus-kun… I love you!"

To her surprise, he stopped in his tracks, pulling back. Shock was evident in his eyes as he digested this new information. Finally, all he could muster up was, "What?"

**Author's Notes: Sorry for not having updated in so long! I've been busy, and there's still several chapters left! Oh boy... Anyways, I hope I can bring out the next chapter quickly! Oh, and this is the longest chapter I have so far! Cool! -hysterical- Stay tuned!**


	23. The Penultimate Ending

Disclaimer: CCS is definitely not mine, unfortunately.

* * *

Cycle 22: The Penultimate Ending

"What did you say?" Lunarus asked again, his brain numb. He had been thrown into confusion due to this new knowledge. _She said… she loves me?_ The Moon Guardian let the barrier drop, and extinguished the flames burning on his hands. "What?"

To Yue this was a surprise as well. He had figured that it was Toya that Nakuru/Ruby Moon loved, with the way she always leapt at him. Then again maybe it was just something she did for fun. If so, then Toya would probably have to put up with it for a while longer.

"I-I said I love you." Ruby Moon felt the burden of keeping it secret lift, feeling just a bit happier. "That is why I will not attack you. Your name may be Lunarus, but you are also Tsukito-kun. If I killed you, I'd kill him too, and you are the same mind, the same person. I don't wish to hurt you."

Now it was her turn to be shocked when Lunarus smiled at her; not a cruel smile, or a mocking grin: it was a smile of true happiness. Tears shone in his eyes as Lunarus spoke. "I had wondered how you felt about me. I had hoped, but now that you have revealed yourself to be sharing the same feelings for me that I hold for you… there is no way I could possibly wish to harm you any farther." He shook his head, still smiling. "Ruby Moon, I love you, too."

Down below, Koryu glared at the Cardmistress. "Not weak, you say? You are quite wrong, little Mistress of the Sakura Cards." He made a move as if to attack, but Syaoran leapt first. Koryu barely managed to dodge the attack that surely would have finished him.

"REFLECTION! BRAWL! MIRAGE!" REFLECTION assumed to features of Koryu, while MIRAGE cloaked BRAWL in an illusion that made her appear as the Master of the Harbinger Cards. The real Koryu smiled. "So who is real? Chose wrong and you may get more than you bargained for."

Without hesitation he and one of his doubles leapt at them. But one Koryu stayed behind, watching. Syaoran blocked the attack of one Koryu while Eriol handled the other. The Chinese boy glanced from one Koryu to another, trying to figure out which was the real one. _They all look the same! And the one card he used… MIRAGE, I think… that only helps him!_

It didn't take much longer for him to reach a conclusion. Syaoran charged past the Koryu he was fighting and went for the one hanging back. That Koryu seemed shocked as Syaoran rushed at him, sword first. But he was surprised when a barrier of golden light blocked his attack, and he glared at Aiko.

"What are you doing?"

"That isn't Koryu! That is REFLECTION!" Aiko shouted. "And even if it wasn't REFLECTION, please don't kill Koryu! I beg of you!"

"That is why she is weak," Koryu growled as with a single swift strike he knocked Eriol to the ground. "Aiko would rather keep her opponents from continuing the fight rather than finish them off. That is her weakness." The other Koryu, the one Syaoran had been fighting, merged with the real one. Now the Cardmaster had the skills of BRAWL on his side.

Leaping over Eriol, he sped towards his target: Sakura. Bringing out a card, he shouted, "DRAIN!"

Sakura could feel her strength fading as her magical energy was being stolen by an orb that constantly shifted colors. The Cardmaster grinned. "Your strength is mine, now."

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo knelt next to her dearest friend, worried for her. She could see Sakura was getting weaker and weaker with each passing second. But the Cardmistress was strong, and it would take longer than usual for DRAIN to steal all her energy. But how long was that?

A dagger flew at the orb, forcing it to flee. But that was what Aiko wanted it to do. DRAIN flew right into a web of electricity weaved by the Lightning Dagger, and a loud wail could be heard. Then it returned to the safety of its card form, infuriating Koryu.

"Aiko… I was planning to give you another chance… but no! BLADE!" He leapt at the girl, but stopped in his tracks when he realized there were _two_ of them. "What?"

"MIRROR… is disguised as Aiko…" Sakura said softly, tired. "You will not be able to tell who the real one... is…"

"Tch, like I care!" Koryu prepared to strike, when REFLECTION got in his way. The Cardmaster's eyes widened in surprise, and he stopped his attack. "Out of my way!"

"No." REFLECTION, still using Koryu's face and voice, stood next to MIRROR, who was using Aiko's face and voice. "I will not let you kill the reincarnation of my Mistress, nor will I let you kill MIRROR."

"Why would you care about a card created by Clow?" Koryu growled. REFLECTION looked thoughtful, though the card knew his answer already. Perhaps the Master of the Harbinger Cards might see it as treason, but he didn't care. It was better to die knowing he had done something to keep MIRROR safe.

"Because I love her," RELFECTION said. Koryu was taken aback by this, but he just laughed.

"Oh, really? I wonder how… but no matter. Lunarus!"

The Moon Guardian flew down, landing next to his Master. Ruby Moon and Yue also landed, setting down next to their respective Master and Mistress. Lunarus glanced at Koryu. "Yes?"

"Kill REFLECTION."

The card closed his eyes, waiting for the burning sensation he knew would come. But it didn't.

"No."

"What?"

"I know what it is, to fall for an 'enemy,'" Lunarus said, looking at Ruby Moon. She smiled, and he returned the same. "So, no. I will not."

"Looks like you're all alone now," Syaoran said, glaring at Koryu. "Give up." He and Eriol ran over to Sakura and Tomoyo, standing next to their respective loves. Koryu looked at them, and frowned.

"I think not. Solarus!" The wolf broke off from his fight with Cerberus and Spinel Sun, and they all landed next to their Masters and Mistress. "Get them."

The wolf leapt forward, but found himself knocked down by the other Sun Guardians. Koryu glared at them all. "I need power! I need it, to stop the catastrophe that will come! What do you achieve by fighting me?"

"But what will we achieve by fighting alongside you?" MIRROR asked; she and REFLECTION dropped their disguises, reaching out for each other's hand. "You had no need to attack us."

"All you had to do was ask for help, and we would gladly have assisted you," Eriol said calmly. His fingers were intertwined with Tomoyo's, but neither seemed to notice this. "And if Syaoran was unwilling, Sakura-san would have been able to make him change his mind."

"And, more importantly, they are _friends_, Koryu," Aiko said, slowly walking towards the confused Cardmaster. "We have made them our friends at school, and think about how many others we will make sad by killing them. Koryu, even a single life is just as important as a million."

Koryu let his Moon Staff slip from his fingers, clattering to the ground. "I… didn't have to fight… did not need to have to kill anyone?"

"No, Koryu," Aiko said softly; gently she embraced him, still loving him despite his cruel words. "We had no need to harm anyone. All we needed to do was ask for their help, Koryu. They are our friends."

"Friends…" Koryu spoke the word as if it were unfamiliar to him. Memories rushed back to him, of how he was almost always lonely while his parents were away. Then, he had no friends, no one to be with. But he had found happiness when he had met Solarus, and then captured the Wraith Cards. Then Lunarus as well, and transforming the Wraith Cards into Harbinger Cards with mysterious help. Meeting Aiko, and finding a friend in her as well. The clincher was coming to Tomoeda, and meeting many people: Sakura, Syaoran, Eriol, Tomoyo, Chiharu, Takashi, Rika, and Naoko, to name a few. They were his friends too.

"Koryu… there is no need to fight." Aiko's calm words pierced Koryu like nothing else, and he let his tears flow, knowing he had nearly killed some of his newfound friends.

"You are right… Aiko…"

Sakura, Syaoran, Eriol, Tomoyo, REFLECTION and MIRROR, and the six Guardians watched, as the battle came to a close. It was an ending without bloodshed…

**Author's Notes: Perosnally, I feel I should have come up with a better ending, but I was running out of ideas. There are still several chapters left, and starring in each respective chapter is: Tsukito/Lunarus and Nakuru/Ruby Moon; Syaoran and Sakura; Eriol and Tomoyo; REFLECTION and MIRROR; and Koryu and Aiko. Characters like Chiharu, Takashi, Rika, and Naoko might make appearances as well! -snores- STAY TUNED!**


	24. Finally United

Disclaimer: CCS ain't mine, and won't eve be!

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Cycle 23: Finally United

Things seemed back to normal a couple days after that battle against Koryu, who had remained absent from school during those two days. Whenever Sakura, Tomoyo, Eriol, and Syaoran asked Aiko why Koryu hadn't been seen for the past days, she simply said that he felt he needed time to think. Apparently, he needed a _lot_ of time. To Takashi, Chiharu, Rika and Naoko it was your usual excuse: he wasn't feeling well. And in a way, he wasn't.

The Harbinger, as he was known after transforming all the Wraith Cards, lay back in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was sorting through many of his thoughts, and working past the guilt he now felt. _My hands are stained with blood; though I am powerful enough to use my cards for a long time without getting tired, it came at a price._ The illusion of being the only one who could stop the coming disaster had been forcefully torn from him, something for which he might be grateful for.

And there was another thing occupying his mind. Aiko had begged Sakura and the others to spare his life, even after he had tried to kill her. The Master of the Harbinger Cards was left in a state of confusion, as he could not think of a single reason as to why she did that. But now that there was peace, and he had no need to worry about fighting for awhile, a third thought took up space.

Recently he had been feeling some sort of closeness to the reincarnation of Arya, a closeness that was beginning to feel a little bit more than friendship. It threw him off-balance when he realized he had been feeling it for a long time, he'd just been ignoring it. Sitting up, the dark green-haired boy opened a drawer of the small table next to his bed and pulled out a small sewing kit, as well as some fabric and plenty of stuffing. _Maybe I can do something for her, though._

0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"Aiko-chan!"

The brunette girl turned to see who was calling her, and it turned out to be Tomoyo. Aiko wasn't sure what the Daidouji heiress wanted, but the expectant gleam in her eyes made the young sorceress feel slightly uneasy. "Y-Yes, Tomoyo-chan?"

"When will you tell him?"

"I-Ieeh? What d-do you mean?" But Aiko knew exactly what Tomoyo meant, and it made her blush to think about it. No, it also made her nervous. She wasn't sure if she was ready yet.

"Aiko-chan, have you told Koryu-kun that you love him?" Judging by the other girl's reaction, the Daidouji heiress knew that no, she hadn't. Neither she nor Eriol had told anyone about Aiko's feelings for Koryu, but they both wished she would tell him her feelings. In fact, Tomoyo knew Eriol would most likely come up with some plan to make Aiko confess; a magically-induced event, such as a "natural" disaster. Which is why Aiko really needed to hurry and confess her feelings to Koryu.

"N-N-No… b-but I will," Aiko replied. "Excuse me, Tomoyo-chan. I-I really n-need to g-go." Before the raven-haired girl could say anything she had already dashed away. Tomoyo sighed and smiled. _I hope she does tell him soon. I only wish I would be able to record it, since I missed Sakura-chan's confession to Li-kun!_

Aiko stopped running when she was a good distance away from the school, and she took a sneak peek inside her backpack, at the one thing she had not told anyone about. The sapphire-blue teddy bear she had made for Koryu. _I hope that I can have the courage I need to finally tell Koryu how I feel._

Taking the teddy bear out and holding it in her arms, she walked on, a little nervous. The closer she got to the mansion, the greater her nervousness became. What she was not aware of was the fact that she was being watched from a certain bedroom window in the mansion.

"Have you finished yet, Master?" REFLECTION asked Koryu, watching him make the finishing touches on his creation. It might have been easier to use one of the Cards, but Koryu had insisted on doing it by hand. Now the dark green bear was complete, once Koryu finally managed to put in the eyes.

"I am. REFLECTION, would you please tell Aiko that I wish for her to come to my room, just to talk? Um, tell her that she doesn't have to, if she doesn't wish to." As REFLECITON was about to leave to do as he was asked, the Harbinger Card paused, and looked back at his Master.

"Master… do you forgive me for acting against you?"

Koryu was silent before answering. "Yes, actually. I am just beginning to realize what love can do to people, how determined it can make them. And how it can cause confusion as well."

"And may I be allowed to wander for a while?"

Koryu was unsure of REFLECTION's reasoning for this, but he allowed it and the Harbinger Card went on his way, taking care to disguise himself as an ordinary human teenager.

Aiko was surprised to find a stranger greeting her at the front entrance, at least until she found out it was actually REFLECTION. "The Master told me to tell you that, if you wish, you should go to his bedroom, as he wishes to speak with you about something important." She did not ask any questions about why he didn't follow her inside, but instead continued on to the entrance gates. Instead, the reincarnation of Arya Hitoraumi went inside, hiding her bear behind her as she did.

Aiko could hear the sound of a videogame being played in the entertainment room, most likely Tsukito or Solarus. But she didn't stop to find out. She simply dashed up the stairway, and took care to make sure her hair was alright before she stepped into Koryu's bedroom.

Koryu himself had taken care to hold his bear behind his back, unknowingly copying Aiko, before she entered. "Um, hello, Aiko."

"H-Hi, Koryu," Aiko replied, suddenly more nervous than before. "Um, R-REFLECTION had s-said you wished to talk to me about something?"

"Well… it's just that… I-I wanted to know," Koryu began, also nervous, to his surprise, "I wanted to know why you helped me, when you had no need to, and… and why, even when I was trying to take your life, you asked Sakura-san and the others to spare mine."

Aiko had not been expecting this. If anything, it was the last thing she had expected. "I… it's because…" Confessing her love was much harder than she had thought, and she had known it would be tough. "I…"

"Aiko." Koryu's voice was softer, more unsure. And, if one listened closely, slightly hopeful. "Do you… do you like me?"

"W-What… um, o-of course I do, Koryu…"

"U-Uh, n-no, not like that! I mean…." Koryu was finding it hard to say those words, then Tsukito poked his head in. The disguised Moon Guardian decided to voice the words for his Master, as he had already guessed what Koryu had been thinking about the past couple days, nonstop.

"Master wishes to know if you are in love with him." Before anyone could say a word, especially Koryu, the Moon Guardian quickly left. He had to go somewhere, to meet up with Nakuru. They had to get some quiet time together.

An awkward silence fell between them. Koryu glanced at Aiko, and then looked away again. "Um, if you don't, then it's fine… maybe," he added quietly. He could feel his heart beginning to break. _She means more to me than I had imagined, than I ever could have imagined! Perhaps meeting Sakura-san and the others has changed me…_

"No, actually…" This was it, now or never. She had to say it now or forever regret it. "Koryu, I… I…" Aiko took a deep breath to try and calm herself. It worked…. Slightly. "I love you." Blushing furiously, she pulled the teddy bear she had been hiding out from behind her back, holding it out in front of her. "P-Please take this!"

After a long moment (a very long moment) she looked up at him, only to see Koryu smiling gently. What surprised Aiko most was the dark green bear he was holding out to her. "Aiko… thank you for staying with me, even if you had no need to. And… maybe, if I had not been altered from my original plan, I would not have guessed how precious you are to me… I never would have known… that I love you, too, Aiko."

They stepped closer to each other, smiling happily. It was the greatest moment of their lives so far. Both were overjoyed to learn they shared the same feelings for each other. They stepped closer and closer, and when they could not step any closer to each other than they already were… slowly but surely the distance between their faces shortened.

"Aiko… thank you for not leaving my side…."

"Koryu… thank you for letting me say with you all this time…"

And they kissed, finally closing the distance between them. Their hearts were now one, their souls intertwined, finally finding love. The girl who loved, but was too shy to confess it. The boy who had not loved, who finally found it.

Unknown to the couple, a little winged wolf cub was recording the entire thing. "Tsukito may be right about recording this. At least now Master and the reincarnation of my former Mistress are now happy." Then Solarus remembered something. "Did Tsukito say something about giving the tape to Daidouji-san afterward?"

**Author's Notes: Well, Tomoyo-chan should thank Tsukito-kun for this later! And don't worry folks; Sakura-chan and the others will appear more in the next chappies. And if you are still wondering how REFLECTION and MIRROR met... that will be revealed in their chapter. Until then, please bear with me. -waves- Stay TUNED, and whatever happened to all my reviewers?**


	25. Coeurs S'Entrelaçants

Disclaimer: CCS? Surely you aren't thinking it is mine, as it certainly does not belong to me! It is CLAMP's.

* * *

Cycle 24: Coeurs S'Entrelaçants

After the battle against Koryu, things returned to normal. Or at least as normal as it could get, considering what had been revealed during that conflict. Tomoyo was unusually absent-minded during class, something her friends were quick to pick up on. Sakura was a little worried. It wasn't only today that Tomoyo was paying little to no attention at all to Onigiri-sensei. Over the past two days the Daidouji heiress had been thinking of something (or rather, _someone_) else that distracted her. It was Rika who asked Tomoyo about it during lunch.

"Tomoyo-chan, are you okay?"

"Hm? Oh, don't worry, Rika-chan I'm fine." Tomoyo went once more into her thoughts, and Rika and Sakura exchanged worried looks. Syaoran sighed, and Eriol, as observant as ever, was curious. Takashi was distracting Aiko and Naoko with one of his wild lies, Chiharu getting more and more annoyed with each passing second.

The raven-haired girl was thinking about a certain part of the short conversation between Aiko and Eriol during the "final" battle. About a certain navy-haired mage's feelings for her, Daidouji Tomoyo.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"_How could a simple girl with no magical powers at all make you, Hiiragizawa Eriol, reincarnation of the powerful Clow Reed, fall for her so hard?"_

_Tomoyo stifled a gasp; she did not want to attract Aiko's attention to her. She did not want the brunette sorceress to know she was awake. All of the girl's attention now focused on Eriol, who was silent as he thought out his answer._

"_Tomoyo-san is a truly kindhearted person, and insists on helping those who need help. She comforted me, when I had realized the fate of my beloved Kaho. She might not have magical powers, but Tomoyo-san truly has a beautiful soul. Clever as well, yet she does not use her cleverness to achieve her own ends. For me, there are not enough words to describe all the reasons why I have fallen in love with her."_

"_So that's why."_

_Tomoyo remained still and silent, processing what Eriol and Aiko had said. Eriol, reincarnation of the great Clow Reed, had fallen for _her_? A girl who had all the magical powers of a brick? This had to be a dream. But how did she feel about him?_

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Now that she had thought about, perhaps she, too, felt the same way towards him. Certainly Tomoyo had felt that they had been getting closer and closer with each passing day. The more time she spent with him, the more the space between their hearts decreased. _Maybe Eriol-kun is… is he the one who is the most special to me?_ She recalled a piece of a conversation they had had, while he was playing the piano in accompaniment to her singing.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"_I am sure that the one who you give your heart to will be lucky to have your love."_

"_I am sure," she replied just as softly, her gaze never leaving the navy-haired boy, "that you are right. But who is the one I will love, the one whose own heart I would hold dear as they treasure mine?"_

"_It could be someone you know," Eriol said. "It might be someone you spend a great amount of time with, without even realizing that it is he that you love more than any other. He could be far away, or closer than you think."_

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

_And I think he was right. The one I have come to realize that I love… he was much closer than I thought._ She only now realized her feelings, but wondered how long she had felt this way for him. Tomoyo remained lost in thought all through lunch, but after school she decided to ask Aiko about whether the brunette sorceress had confessed to Koryu yet. Goodness knows how much Tomoyo wished she would. If she didn't, Eriol would most likely come up with some plan to force the confession out of her… through some magically-induced "natural" disaster. But knowing Aiko, the girl hadn't confessed to Koryu yet.

"Aiko-chan!" Tomoyo called out; Aiko turned at the sound of her name, suddenly becoming a little uneasy seeing the expectant gleam in Tomoyo's eyes.

"Y-Yes, Tomoyo-chan?"

"When will you tell him?"

"I-Ieeeh? What d-do you mean?" Tomoyo wasn't a little surprised to hear the surprised sound Aiko had made; apparently Sakura was rubbing off on her. Aiko's "Iieeh" sounded a lot like Sakura's "Hoee".

"Aiko-chan, have you told Koryu-kun that you love him?" Aiko's eyes widened in shock at that question, and the Daidouji heiress knew from this reaction that no, she hadn't. Tomoyo was a little disappointed. She wasn't too surprised when Aiko dashed off after a short answer. The raven-haired girl sighed and smiled. _I hope she does tell him soon. I only wish I would be able to record it, since I missed Sakura-chan's confession to Li-kun!_

But knowing her luck so far at getting such important moments on video, she wouldn't get a chance. Shrugging a little, Tomoyo continued towards the school gates, meeting Eriol there as usual. He was still staying at her mansion with Nakuru and Suppie. What was most curious to her, or maybe not so surprising, was that he hadn't gone back to England yet. The crisis was over, but…

"Is everything alright, Tomoyo-san?" he asked politely, sounding sincere. He did indeed wonder why her thoughts seemed to be elsewhere these days, but he had a suspicion. _If she was awake when I told Hanenendo-san what I did…_

"There is nothing wrong, Eriol-kun," the Daidouji heiress replied politely, giving him a small smile. "But thank you for your concern."

"I saw Hanenendo-san just a minute ago, running as fast as she could. Her face was an extreme shade of red. Tell me, Tomoyo-san, what did you ask her?"

"I simply asked if she had told Koryu-kun about how she feels for him. Apparently, Aiko-chan still hasn't yet."

"Hmmm, maybe I should help the poor girl out…"

"Eriol-kun, don't." Tomoyo didn't like the gleam that came into his eyes, showing he was planning something. "We don't need another magical crisis so soon, do we?"

"I suppose not," Eriol replied, his usual Cheshire Cat smile on his face. Their walk to the Daidouji estate was a silent one, each delving into their own thoughts. Clow's reincarnation was having some serious thoughts about telling Tomoyo his feelings for her himself. He was presuming that she had indeed been awake when he had given his reasons for why he had fallen for her to Aiko during the battle, but it would be better to tell her directly.

Tomoyo was also thinking of talking to Eriol, except she was a bit unsure about telling him of her feelings. She had only recently discovered them after all. _For awhile I suspected it, but never really thought it would be possible. Should I?_

At the gates they were greeted by Nakuru, who was on her way out to meet up with Tsukito somewhere. But before leaving, she had one question she just had to ask Eriol. "Master, have you told Tomoyo-chan that you love her yet?"

Judging by how his face (surprisingly) turned a deep shade of red, and Tomoyo looked a little surprised (but not very), he hadn't. "Oops, well, now you know, Tomoyo-chan!" Nakuru chirped cheerfully. "Byes!"

The navy-haired mage was feeling both annoyed and grateful towards his Moon Guardian; annoyed that she had revealed it so casually and grateful that he didn't have to go through the nerve-wracking process of confession. He turned to face Tomoyo, his blush fading. "Well, it seems the cat is out of the bag now, Tomoyo-san."

She was silent, and Eriol was beginning to think it was a bad sign when Tomoyo spoke up. "Eriol-kun… what she said is true, isn't it?"

"Yes, Tomoyo-san."

She continued talking, her face turning redder and redder as she did. "I had never thought that the person who I would fall in love with, the one dearest to me, would be so close. I had never imagined it would be possible, as we are so different. But over time, I realized how similar we were. But I never imagined he would love me too, not after losing his first love."

Eriol was beginning to make sense of what Tomoyo was trying to say to him, the words she was hesitating to say. "Tomoyo-san… do you…?"

"Yes, Eriol-kun… I do." She was smiling gently at him; his smile became a genuinely happy one as well. It wasn't the Cheshire Cat smile that Syaoran so despised. They slowly closed the distance between them, until…

"Wait, Eriol-kun." Tomoyo held up a hand, looking at a bush that was suspiciously out of place. "I'm sorry, but…"

Eriol looked in the direction she was looking, and suddenly knew what she knew. "Is that…?"

"I don't want my bodyguard to cause you any bodily harm," Tomoyo said, taking Eriol by the hand. "Come. We have plenty of homework to finish, don't we?"

"Indeed, Tomoyo-san." But he was pleasantly surprised when she gave him a swift kiss on the cheek, and they continued on into the mansion, smiling joyously.

Within the bush, Tomoyo's only male bodyguard, Kurogane, was attempting to control his temper. _Relax, relax, the boy won't do anything to harm her… I shall not hurt him… well, maybe a little…_

Nearby and unnoticed, a small little black cat shut off the video camera he had been using. "Is that what she wanted me to record? Well, I hope she'll remember our deal and not force-feed me sweets for a week…"

**Author's Notes: Yes, Suppie-chan (the black cat) was talking about Nakuru. Oh, and **Coeurs S'Entrelaçants **means "Intertwining Hearts." I couldn't think of a different title for this chapter! Well, hopefully I can get the next chappie up soon. It will most likely be about either REFLECTION and MIRROR or Tsukit/Lunarus and Nakuru/Ruby Moon. I'm saving Sakura and Syaoran for last! -does the robot- Stay tuned, everyone!**


	26. Lunar Pull

Disclaimer: No, CCS isn't mine. If it were, I'd have no need to write my poor little fanfic.

* * *

Cycle 25: Lunar Pull

It was odd being back at college like any other normal human, especially since there was no need to worry about a battle. Tsukito yawned, a little impatient for the class to end so that he could leave. The past two days after the battle had been quite enjoyable, especially after the surprising (and wonderful) confessions of love that had been exchanged between him and Nakuru. Of course they had been in their true forms at the time, but that didn't mean they didn't remember it. Yue and Yukito was a different story, as they were two minds in one body.

The bell rang, signaling the end. Tsukito stretched his arms, looking down at his notes. In college, notes were very important, and not taking notes was like sentencing yourself to doom. Nakuru, who was taking the same class, waltzed over to him, a silly grin plastered on her face. "Hey, Tsukito!"

"Yo. And aren't you going to find poor Toya-san and squeeze him to death?"

"Maybe," she said, still grinning. "Unless you would rather I stay here with you?

Tsukito was grinning back at her as he replied, "I am shocked that you would ask such a thing! Of course I'd rather you stay with me! I would never let that ol' Toya-san corrupt you with his grouchiness!" (A/N: "Grouchiness"? I don't think Toya is grouchy, do you?)

Within the college, those two were a regular comedic duo among the other college students. Nakuru, as always, was quite hyper and cheerful; Tsukito on the other hand was becoming known as quite the jokester. Even when he asked a serious question, one could find a joke hidden in there if they looked hard enough. Which was why no one was surprised when rumors began flying around that they were a couple, and even less surprised when they openly admitted it in various ways. Those two were a match for each other.

"Thank you very much, Tsukito!" Nakuru planted a kiss on his cheek, still grinning. "But I have something I really need to talk to you about!"

"Yes, my moonlight?" he asked, wearing the same grin she was.

"We should meet up later! Maybe for a picnic, you know?"

"Hmm, sounds good! I like that idea! Wait… did you already prepare everything?"

The other Moon Guardian shook her head cheerfully. "Nope! But we can buy some sandwiches, eat them at the park, and call it one!"

"Sounds like a date I guess," Tsukito laughed. "How about we meet up at about… I don't know, maybe when the middle school lets the students out? I need to prepare some things for Master… I don't think he even knows about my plan."

"Sounds good! I'll meet you then!"

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"Yo, Solarus!"

The little dragon-winged wolf cub looked up from his videogame, pausing it. "Oh, hey Lunarus."

"Hey, while I'm in this form, call me Tsukito! Anyways, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Uh-huh. Go on." The Sun Guardian in his disguise form went back to playing his game. Recently he had become good friends with Suppie and Kero, and he found out he shared their addiction for videogames. Now he was trying to get a higher score than they were planning to get. It was a three-way battle that probably wouldn't end for years to come.

"I have a feeling that Master Koryu will attempt to confess his love for Aiko-chan today, once school lets out. So," he hefted a video camera in one hand, "I was hoping you could record that confession on this video camera. I'm planning on giving the tape to Tomoyo-san later, anyways."

"Fine, but can you tell me how the heck I'm supposed to defeat this boss? You beat him, but refuse to tell me!"

"Fine. First you have to aim for Suichikaze's weapon arms for one third of his health, then the body, and finally the head. Finally Suichikaze will change from his humanoid form to his final dragon form after a short storyline scene. Once you finish off that big robot, the game's done! By the way, the faster you do it and the less damage you take, the more points you get, so do your best!"

"Thank you very much, Tsukito," Solarus said, and as Tsukito walked away he could hear the sounds of explosions and lasers coming from the television. The Moon Guardian sighed. _I wonder if those videogames are rotting his brain… though I can see why he likes playing them so much…._

He did have time to change into more casual clothing than his college wear, so he didn't rush too much. He chose a simple black t-shirt with a smiley emoticon on the front, and a pair of brown jeans that were clean. He looked at the rest of his clothing, grimacing. "Looks like I'll have to do the laundry soon. Too bad Master doesn't have maids or butlers to take care of all this… oh, wait, he had assured his parents he could take care of himself while they were away so they took the servants with them… leaving me as his bodyguard."

He still remembered how easy it was to be hired for the role as Koryu's bodyguard. Not that the Master of the Harbinger Cards really needed it. He had taken taekwondo, karate-do, judo, kyūdō, kendo, and even jōdō in elementary, all at the same time. Or at least that's what he had heard. But then, it could be an explanation for his good physical stamina. His magical stamina came from his own magical power and that of the magic he had stolen from others.

The Moon Guardian glanced out into the hallway, where he still faintly heard the sound of repetitive videogame background music before it suddenly shut off. He went back into his bedroom, waiting a bit longer before he heard the front doors opening and closing. A moment later, he heard the same sound again. _That would most likely be Aiko-chan. I better get going, then._

He actually took his time while walking down the halls, pausing by the doorway to Koryu's room. He could hear his Master asking, "Aiko. Do you…. do you like me?"

Aiko's reply seemed rather… embarrassed. "W-What… um, o-of course I do, Koryu…"

"U-Uh, n-no, not like that! I mean…" Tsukito grinned, knowing he'd have to voice Koryu's words for him. The Moon Guardian knew what the Master of the Harbinger Cards had been thinking about the past couple days, other than his guilt.

Poking his head into the room, Tsukito said, "Master wishes to know if you are in love with him." Before anyone could say a word, especially Koryu, he quickly left. He did have to meet up with Nakuru after all. Plus he could always watch the videotape later; he'd seen Solarus hiding in the shadows of a corner on the ceiling.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

It was easy to find each other. All they had to do was lock on to each other's unique magical presences. Unsurprisingly, Nakuru and Tsukito ran into each other at a restaurant that sold… sandwiches. Tsukito was being paid for being Koryu's bodyguard (A/N: Isn't funny how he's his bodyguard and his Moon Guardian?) so he paid for about… one-hundred percent of the sandwiches. He insisted on it.

They took their late lunch to the park, where Nakuru spread out a blanket she had brought with her, and they chowed down on the food. Tsukito glanced at Nakuru, and grinned. "Hey, have you fed Suppie-san any sugary sweets recently?"

"Yup! Yesterday! But I promised him I won't do it again for a whole week!"

"Why?"

Nakuru smiled mischievously. "I asked him to videotape Master and Tomoyo-chan's confessions of love!"

"Really? I asked Solarus to do the same to my master and Aiko-chan! But I had to tell him how to defeat a videogame boss."

Their chat lasted for a long time, until it was finally dark, the moon shining bright. Tsukito glanced up, smiling. "The moon sure is a beautiful thing, isn't it?"

"It sure is," Nakuru agreed, but was caught by surprise when he suddenly turned and kissed her full on the lips. She smiled, and pulled him deeper into their confirmation of love.

"But not as beautiful as you," Tsukito said softly, once they had broken apart. Hey, even they needed air. "I'm glad to have met you, Nakuru."

"I was thinking the same thing, Tsukito."

**Author's Notes: Whew! Finally! Sorry I took so long, folks! I kinda hit a roadblock in the imagination department. But I think I didn't too bad... what do you guys think? Did I do bad with this chappie? -sneezes- Stay tuned! Only two chappies left I believe... I feel both relieved and disappointed... maybe I should do a sequel... oh wait, I think that was the original plan...**


	27. Gentle Hearts

Disclaimer: CARDCAPTOR SAKURA IS NOT MINE STOP. I WISH I WAS PART OF CLAMP BUT I AM NOT STOP.

* * *

Cycle 26: Gentle Hearts

REFLECTION stood by the window, watching Koryu put the finishing touches on his creation. The Harbinger Card knew who the dark green teddy bear was for, or at least had a very good idea as to who it was. REFLECTION supposed it would have been easier to make it using magic, but apparently Koryu decided to do it by hand. HE said it would be more special that way. "Have you finished yet, Master?"

"I am. REFLECTION, would you please tell Aiko that I wish for her to come to my room, just to talk? Um, tell her that she doesn't have to, if she doesn't wish to." As REFLECITON was about to leave to do as he was asked, the Harbinger Card paused, and looked back at his Master.

"Master… do you forgive me for acting against you?"

Koryu was silent before answering. "Yes, actually. I am just beginning to realize what love can do to people, how determined it can make them. And how it can cause confusion as well."

"And may I be allowed to wander for a while?"

He knew Koryu was probably wondering why he asked this, but the Cardmaster allowed it anyways. REFLECTION took care to disguise himself as an ordinary human teenager (A/N: I consider 13 as being a teenager) as he walked towards the front door. As he passed the entrance to the living room, he was surprised to hear it silent. _I thought Master had told me Solarus was playing a videogame… guess the Sun Guardian got tired of it…_

He departed form the mansion, after giving Aiko Koryu's message. The Harbinger Card was relieved that she didn't ask him any questions. REFLECTION had his own reasons. Sure, he felt guilty for using up his master's power just so he could do something for himself, but Koryu could handle the loss. Koryu had amassed a great amount of magical energy from the victims of DRAIN; he could let REFLECTION remain in his normal form for at most three days, as long as it was only REFLECTION and if the Harbinger Card didn't disguise himself at all. The only drawback was that it would take a lot of sleep for him to regain the energy he had used up.

He had only one destination in mind: the house of Kinimoto Sakura, Mistress of the Sakura Cards. Upon his arrival, he hesitated as he was about to knock. It would be a problem if he wasn't recognized. Oh well, he could explain things later. He knocked, and Toya answered the door.

"Yeah? What do you want?" Toya asked, raising a questioning eyebrow. Instantly REFLECTION felt nervous. _This is the older brother of the Cardmistress that had given MIRROR her ribbons? He seems… intimidating…_

"Uh, I… uh, am a classmate of Sakura's from school and I wanted to talk to her…"

"She's not home yet… but I suppose you can wait for her. She should be home soon."

"T-Thanks," REFLECTION said, bowing. "Tell her that… Rifurekuto is here, please."

"You have a strange name," Toya said, letting REFLECTION in. The Harbinger Card went into the kitchen, patiently sitting at the table. It wasn't too long before he heard the door open, and a girl's voice shout, "Tadaima! I hope it's okay that I brought Syaoran over! He's helping me study for the math quiz tomorrow."

"Okaeri, kaijuu," REFLECTION heard Toya reply. A loud _thud_ made him wonder what happened, but he figured it would be better to not ask. After a few moments, he heard Toya speak up again. "By the way, someone is here to talk to you. He's in the kitchen, says his name is Rifurekuto. Oh, and as for you, kid… don't you dare try anything."

"Oniichan! Don't threaten Syaoran!" Sakura and Syaoran went into the kitchen, and gave REFLECTION blank looks that plainly showed they had no clue who he was. It took the Harbinger Card a moment to remember he was disguised.

"It's me, REFLECTION. Remember?"

_That_ startled them for a moment. "REFLECTION-san? Is that really you?" Sakura asked, surprised. "Come on, let's go up to my room! We can talk there!"

"Uh, actually I wished to speak to MIRROR for a while, in private. I know it's a bit much to ask, but I promise it won't take too long!"

Sakura nodded, smiling. She remembered something REFLECTION had said during the battle against Koryu, a very important and curious piece of information.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"_Why would you care about a card created by Clow?" Koryu growled. REFLECTION looked thoughtful, though the card knew his answer already. Perhaps the Master of the Harbinger Cards might see it as treason, but he didn't care. It was better to die knowing he had done something to keep MIRROR safe._

"_Because I love her," RELFECTION said._

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"Key which hides the power of the stars, reveal your true form before me! I, Sakura, command you under our contract! Release!"

The Star Key, a small, unimportant-looking pendant, transformed into Sakura's most important possession: the Star Wand. Syaoran glanced back into the hallway, wondering why Toya didn't suddenly make an appearance. Then again, since he knew about his sister's magical powers, he probably didn't really feel like asking.

"MIRROR!" A girl with long pale-green hair appeared, dressed in a flowing white kimono, holding a mirror. Upon seeing her, REFLECTION dropped his disguise, returning to his true form. The Sakura Card was, of course, surprised to see him.

"I just wish to speak to you for a moment," REFLECTION told her. "I won't take too long; I know the longer you remain in your true form the more tired Sakura-san becomes."

"Come on, Syaoran," the young Cardmistress said, grabbing Syaoran's hand. "Let's begin studying now."

"I'm just surprised you still need help with math," the Chinese boy said as they left the kitchen.

"Mou, Syaoran!"

REFLECTION waited patiently until they were out of earshot, then looked at MIRROR directly in the eye. "It has been awhile since we had some time to talk alone, hasn't it?"

"Only two days, REFLECTION," MIRROR replied softly. "What is it you wished to speak with me about?"

"This." Without any warning at all, REFLECTION stepped closer to MIRROR and kissed her. She was surprised when their lips made contact, but the Harbinger Card made it brief. The kiss lasted for only two seconds before he pulled away. "I apologize for the suddenness of my action, MIRROR, but I wish to let you know that what I said in LABYRINTH and during the battle against Master was completely true."

"REFLECTION," MIRROR smiled gently, "you had already told me that you still loved me. And for the longest time, I wondered if I still felt the same." She looked away for a brief moment before her eyes locked with his once more. "I had, for a short time, become infatuated with Toya-san, Mistress's older brother. But I knew his heart belonged not to me, but to another. I was not the special person he held dear in his heart.

"But when I saw you again, after so many years, I was indeed surprised. And the guilt returned as well. The guilt of saying such a terrible thing to you. I did want to see you again, REFLECTION. If I ever said I never wished to see you again, it would be a lie. REFLECTION," she slowly closed the distance between them. "I hope that we can still be the same, as we had once before."

"MIRROR," REFLECTION was also closing the space between them, a gentle look in his eyes, "maybe I do wish I had come into this world as a human. But if I had… then we would probably have never met. MIRROR… I wish that we can love, as we had so long ago."

The distance between their lips became nonexistent, a contact that expressed that they still loved each other, perhaps even more than they had before. As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. And for the longest of times, they had been absent in each other's life. The most human out of the Harbinger and Sakura Cards, the gentle girl who felt her guilt fade, the gentle boy who lost his loneliness, were together once more.

For now, their past shall not be told, as it is theirs to reveal. An old love rekindled, from many years ago. A meeting that was not coincidence, but _hitsuzen_, an inevitable act. If they had never met, would the battle against Koryu have ended the way it did?

Later REFLECTION bid goodbye to MIRROR, and the Sakura Card watched him leave with a joyous gleam in her eyes. She was glad that they had once more found love in each other. MIRROR went up to Sakura's room, passing by Toya on the stairwell. He gave her a curious glance at first, and then smiled. "Are you happy, because your friend had come?"

MIRROR blushed, but she nodded. The Cardmistress's older brother then continued down the stairs, saying, "I am still thankful to you for watching my sister whenever I can't. And the Chinese gaki, too, but don't tell them I said that."

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

Once he was inside Koryu's mansion again, REFLECTION let his disguise drop. _I am glad that ended well. MIRROR… it may be awhile before we see each other again, but at least I know, now. Love brings us together, spanning past time and space._ He heard the sounds of a movie playing on the large, flat-screen television in the living room, and headed towards it. He saw on the couch Koryu and Aiko fast asleep, the brunette sorceress in Koryu's arms. REFLECTION didn't wish to wake them, so he crept up to Koryu's bedroom and returned to card form, returning to the deck of Harbinger Cards. Only one thought ran through his mind as he did so.

_Absence does, indeed, make the heart grow fonder…_

**Author's Notes: Ohhhh, I didn't say anything about how they met. Maybe I should write a fanfic about it. Or put the details in the sequel. Sorry, folks! They're still a mystery! Now there's only one chapter left (-sniffle-) ... it's gonna be about our cute heroine, Sakura, and her love, Syaoran! -cries- Stay tuned!**


	28. Premonition of Happiness

Dsiclaimer: If I had enough money, I could own CCS. But since I don't, I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura. Now, for the final Cycle...

* * *

Cycle 27: Premonition of Happiness

Two days after the battle, and thing seemed to have returned to normal. Or relatively normal, at least. Poor Sakura still woke up late, going through her usual routine of rushing so that she would barely make it through the door of the classroom in time.

This time, though, something was a little off. Tomoyo seemed rather absentminded, not just today but over the past two days. Sakura was worried for her best friend, but couldn't ask her about it during class.

"Tomorrow there will be a math quiz, so remember to study," Onigiri-sensei told the class, smiling. "And for those who will undoubtedly be asking, I will not take bribes. Even if it is rice balls."

Syaoran looked at the back of Sakura's head, a bit concerned. Math was Sakura's worst and most despised subject. Once class let out for lunch, she turned and gave him her most pleading look.

"Syaoran, can you help me study for the quiz? Please?"

There was only one answer. "Sure," he replied, smiling. "Of course I would."

"Thanks! You're the greatest, Syaoran!" He blushed when she hugged him, despite the fact it was well-known that they were a couple. Together, they walked to where they usually ate lunch with their friends.

However, something was up. Tomoyo was not her usual self, even Sakura had noticed. It seemed her mind had been somewhere else for the past couple days.

"Tomoyo-chan, are you okay?" Rika asked her, concerned.

It took the Daidouji heiress a moment to answer. "Hm? Oh, don't worry, Rika-chan I'm fine." Once more Tomoyo went deep into thought, and Rika and Sakura exchanged worried looks.

Syaoran sighed. He really doubted that Tomoyo was as okay as she claimed. Eriol didn't look concerned, but he did seem curious. At the same time, Takashi was entertaining Naoko and Aiko with one of his wild lies.

"Then after that happened, they had too—"

"Alright, enough already," Chiharu said, grabbing his ear, annoyed by her boyfriend's lies. "Don't listen to him Aiko-chan, Naoko-chan. He was just lying again."

"T-Those w-w-were l-lies?" Aiko stammered softly, as shy as ever. Or seemingly shy, as Sakura, Tomoyo, Eriol, and Syaoran knew better. It seemed she was an amazing actress.

The remaining hours of school passed by without anything terribly exciting happening. Once class let out, Sakura and Syaoran left for Sakura's house, so he could begin helping her study for the math quiz.

"Syaoran," the young Cardmistress asked suddenly, "did you believe Aiko-chan when she said Koryu-kun felt bad for attacking us?"

For a long time he was silent, until, "I can't really forgive him for trying to kill you, but I guess he isn't too bad. But he's too much like Hiiragizawa!"

Sakura giggled at that. "Syaoran, you know that Eriol-kun isn't bad."

"I didn't say he was bad. I'm just saying that Hiiragizawa is just too damn annoying! I really hate the nicknames he's given me."

A relatively normal conversation, cut short when they reached Sakura's house. She opened the door, shouting, "Tadaima! I hope it's okay that I brought Syaoran over! He's helping me study for a math test tomorrow."

"Okaeri, kaijuu," Toya replied as he walked into view, smirking. Syaoran wasn't at all surprised when Sakura's foot scored a direct hit, and her brother clenched his teeth in pain. After a few moments, Toya was able to talk without sounding like he was in pain.

"By the way, someone is here to talk to you. He's in the kitchen, says his name is Rifurekuto. Oh, and as for you, kid… don't you dare try anything."

"Oniichan! Don't threaten Syaoran!" Sakura scolded, and taking Syaoran by the hand she took him to the kitchen, where an unfamiliar boy was waiting. For a moment, they stared blankly, having no idea who it was.

"It's me, REFLECTION. Remember?" _That_ startled them.

"REFLECTION-san? Is that really you?" Sakura was surprised, but seeing him here probably meant Koryu had a message he couldn't personally tell them. "Come on, let's go to my room! We can talk there!"

"Uh, actually I wished to speak to MIRROR for a while, in private. I know it's a bit much to ask, but I promise it won't take too long!"

Sakura nodded, smiling. She remembered something REFLECTION had said during the battle against Koryu, a very important and curious piece of information.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"_Why would you care about a card created by Clow?" Koryu growled. REFLECTION looked thoughtful, though the card knew his answer already. Perhaps the Master of the Harbinger Cards might see it as treason, but he didn't care. It was better to die knowing he had done something to keep MIRROR safe._

"_Because I love her," RELFECTION said._

0-o-0-o-0-o-0

"Key which hides the power of the stars, reveal your true form before me! I, Sakura, command you under our contract! Release!"

The Star Key, a small, unimportant-looking pendant, transformed into Sakura's most important possession: the Star Wand. Syaoran glanced back into the hallway, wondering why Toya didn't suddenly make an appearance. Then again, since he knew about his sister's magical powers, he probably didn't really feel like asking.

"MIRROR!" A girl with long pale-green hair appeared, dressed in a flowing white kimono, holding a mirror. Upon seeing her, REFLECTION dropped his disguise, returning to his true form. The Sakura Card was, of course, surprised to see him.

"I just wish to speak to you for a moment," REFLECTION told her. "I won't take too long; I know the longer you remain in your true form the more tired Sakura-san becomes."

"Come on, Syaoran," the young Cardmistress said, grabbing Syaoran's hand. "Let's begin studying now."

"I'm just surprised you still need help with math," the Chinese boy said as they left the kitchen, grinning.

"Mou, Syaoran!" Sakura pouted. "You know I don't like that subject!"

When they opened the door to her room, it was to find Kero playing his newest videogame. The little Sun Guardian turned, then went back to his game. "Oh, so you brought the Chinese kid over?"

"Yes, Kero-chan, to study! Can you please stop playing that game so that we can?"

"But I'm still trying to beat Suichikaze! He's the final boss! I will not lose to Suppie or Solarus!" It was obvious he wouldn't be getting off no matter what she said, so the Cardmistress could only do one thing, despite the fact that it was a little mean. She shut off the television.

"Nooooooo!" Kero cried, and proceeded to fly out of the room, teary-eyed. "You two have fun, then… I'll try to finish my game later…"

After awhile of studying, with Sakura's head spinning with a staggering amount of numbers, MIRROR entered, smiling. The Sakura Card seemed rather cheerful, but would not say why. "Mistress, I am done now."

Sakura nodded, and MIRROR returned to her card form. After placing her carefully back into the deck, Sakura went back to studying. "Hoeee, I'm so confused!"

"Why don't we take a break?" Syaoran suggested, sweatdropping anime-style. Sakura heartily agreed, and they sat on her floor for a while, just talking.

Then Sakura brought up a magical subject. "What do you think the disaster Aiko foresaw is?"

Her boyfriend shrugged. "I know as much as you do about it. I can't even begin to guess. There are so many possibilities." They lapsed into silence, until Sakura asked another question.

"Syaoran… do you think I'm strong enough to help Koryu-kun and Aiko-chan when the disaster comes?"

"What? Of course you are! Don't ask silly things!" Syaoran exclaimed. Standing up, he moved closer and kneeled in front of the young Mistress of the Sakura Cards. "You are strong, Sakura. Hiiragizawa said so, as did Ametori-san and Hanenendo-san. You are also kind, cheerful, brave, cute…"

"You're embarrassing me, Syaoran!" Sakura said, and she was indeed blushing. Her face was very close to his, only an inch of space separating them.

"It's true. Sakura, you were kind enough to give Ametori-san and Hanenendo-san another chance, even after you nearly lost your life. I can only think of a few others who would do the same." He leaned forward, and only half an inch of space remained. "You are a wonderful person. And your invincible spell worked."

"Everything did turn out alright, didn't it?" Sakura said, smiling. They closed the distance between them, hesitating a little before locking their lips in a passionate kiss. Sakura was unsurprised by the taste of Syaoran's lips; they tasted like chocolate, while Syaoran could taste strawberries on hers. They broke off, the Chinese boy silently cursing oxygen.

"We'd better get back to studying," Sakura said, and Syaoran agreed.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want your brother to kick me out just for kissing you."

So with that they got back to work. While they were studying together after sharing a loving kiss, Tomoyo and Eriol both sat at her piano, in perfect accompaniment. They, too, were able to share a proper kiss without the danger of Eriol being mauled badly by Tomoyo's bodyguards (or, more specifically, by Kurogane). Koryu and Aiko still lay fast asleep on the couch, sharing their dreams. She was at peace in the safety of his warm embrace. Tsukito and Nakuru both were still talking at this moment, but once night fell, and the moon rose, they too were able to confirm their love for each other.

At this very moment, the world seemed to be at peace. And that is how it should be, peaceful. But though the peace would end eventually, all that had happened was a premonition of happiness in the times to come.

**Author's Notes: Uwaaaaaaah! I have finished my first fanfic! It didn't turn out too badly, actually. Well, I guess I'll see you guys when I finally begin the sequel, neh? -sobs uncontrollably- Sayonara! Thank you, my dedicated readers!**


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